RAM GIDOOMAL: A NEW ERA IN INDIA ASHOK AGARWAL ON SCHOOLS

VOL. 1 NO. 10 JUNE 2004 Rs. 50

SCHOOL WITH A CONSCIENCE IT’S EASY TO ABSORB POOR CHILDREN Page 5

TURBAN, KIRPAN & EARTHWORMS FRENCH SIKH SHOWS THE WAY IN PUNJAB Page 6

WINDOW ON VILLAGES WIDOWS WEAR RED IN NOVEL AN AGENDA FOR THE CAMPAIGN Page 13 NEW GOVERNMENT MAHJONG AT Mahasweta Devi, Sunita Narain, Anupam Mishra, Anil Wilson, Rajendra Singh, Suman THREE GORGES Sahai, Jayaprakash Narayan, Ashish Kothari, CHINA’S MEGA Darshan Shankar, Arvind Kejriwal, Shabnam DAM CAUSES Hashmi, Ashish Sen, Ravichander, Maya GRIEF Page 14 Menon, Kalpana Jain, Himanshu Thakkar

VIEWS PEOPLE CAMPAIGNS NGOs SLOGANS CONTROVERSIES IDEAS VOLUNTEERS TRAINING BOOKS FILMS INTERVIEWS RESEARCH June 2004 CIVIL SOCIETY 3

COVER STORY

Only people matter

VERY election comes with its quota of surprises. But this last general election ranks as an outright thriller. No one would have imagined that a limp and Eapparently directionless Congress would be swept to power. If there is one message that comes through it is not to take people lightly. The undoing of the BJP and its allies was their arrogance and poor governance. Having achieved some cosmetic changes for the middle class and partial economic reforms, the NDA government proceeded to behave like it had done the whole nation a favour. Its obscene India Shining advertisements had finally to be withdrawn. An NDTV pre-election show remains etched in my mind. A clip showed Venkiah Naidu saying about Rahul Gandhi: "Politics is not a game for children". A BJP leader on the show tried to defend the statement and the spunky Nikhil Wagle, editor of Mahanagar, retorted: "If it isn't a game for children, is it then a game for old men?" Somewhere along the line the BJP had lost its connection with reality. REAL REFORMS PLEASE The new government will do well to remember that it governs a very different The new government’s challenge is to keep up the pace of India. For one, it is a younger India impatient for real change. It is an India reforms and make sure they improve the life of common connected with the rest of the world through telecom and IT like never before. It is people in a lasting manner. also an India faced with mammoth inequities. There are mounting environmental 8 problems to contend with and any party which wants to rule the country for the next decade must above all have a solution to water shortages. We thought it would be a good idea to ask a cross section of NGO leaders and social activists to come up with three suggestions each for a new government. You A Gandhian revival gets will find what they have to say in our cover story. Perhaps liberalisation should going: PV Rajgopal on now move to the more important stage of facilitating local effort through which his plans ...... 4 simpler and enduring solutions can be found to apparently intractable problems. Among our other stories we have the Supreme Court order asking the Delhi government to regulate the fees of unaided private schools and ensure that With a conscience: A school schools, which have got land free or very cheap, keep their promise of admitting in Panchkula shows how children from poor families. We spoke to Ashok Agarwal, a lawyer from Social to absorb poor children . . . . 5 Jurist who fought the case. Agarwal has also documented the issue for us in an article in our Perspectives section. Interestingly, while Delhi schools quibble about these orders, we have a story from Panchkula about a school which has been quietly admitting poorer children and giving them a quality education. We interviewed PV Rajgopal of the Ekta Parishad. He is now back in Delhi as vice- president of the Gandhi Peace Foundation. We asked him about his plans to Turban, kirpan and some energise the GPF and as usual he had more ideas than we could put into print for earthworms: Meet French you. Sikh Darshan Singh ...... 6 Our collaboration with Charkha goes a step further. We once again offer two pages of Rural Reporter. In our Offtrack section, our music correspondent, Neelkantha Gupta, talks about Shujaat Khan's brilliant album, The Rain, which was Jupiter, Sun, maths and fun: nominated for a Grammy, has sold more than one million copies in the West , but Navnirmiti tells you how can't be found in India. Nor for that can Shujaat be found in India, but his wife was to watch Jupiter in June . . 7 kind enough to give us some pictures of him.Watch Offtrack for more on music. We are quite thrilled to begin a regular column by Ram Gidoomal, a businessman and a politician in Britain. Ram will offer an NRI perspective every month. He is a serious contender for the post of Mayor of London. Ashok Khosla of Development Alternatives analyses how development can be Rural Reporter: Dhari good business, a topical subject. Every political party and economist talks about village men learn to unemployment. Hopefully in the years ahead the government will ensure that sober up ...... 12 India Shines through mini and small scale employment as Ashok rightly suggests.

Perspectives: Schools should not be businesses, says Ashok Agarwal ...... 19 .

Offtrack: The Rain is a big global hit. Say hello to Shujaat Khan ...... 24. Printed and published by Umesh Anand on behalf of Rita Anand of C-1, Main Shopping Centre, Vasant Vihar New Delhi 110057. Printed at Maximus Packers, Essay: Ashok Khosla on 49, DSIDC Sheds, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi. creative ways of Write to Civil Society at E-2144 Palam Vihar, Gurgaon, Haryana 122017 generating more jobs . . . . .26 Ph: 9811787772, E-mail: [email protected] Editor: Rita Anand RNI No.: DELENG/03/11607

Cover photograph: SAAB PICTURES 4 CIVIL SOCIETY INDIA June 2004

CAUSE & EFFECT Schools A Gandhian revival Civil Society News that the country is divided between the the successes of Sarvodaya and the New Delhi gun and trishul, the Left and the Right. Gandhian way. We are forever crying about the want of Gandhi's concern for the poor, jal, lose, will T is 4.30 in the afternoon on a hot space for people who think differently jangal and jameen, his emphasis on the and dusty Sunday in Delhi. PV and don't belong to either of these two last man and sustainable livelihoods IRajgopal is in his new office room at ideological positions. Well you can remains relevant today. the Gandhi Peace Foundation (GPF) ful- keep on crying or you can go out and We also need a group which can filling his new role as the vice-presi- create that space for yourself. I believe intervene in regional conflicts and ask they pay? dent of this long somnolent organisa- that the GPF has aole in achieving this the question: Hey what is going on tion. Rajgopal is clearly not the here? From Sri Lanka to Nepal to Civil Society News sleepy type and is happy to set- Nagaland, there is the need for New Delhi tle down to a chat over coffee. such intervention. Getting him to that is in itself an INCE 1997, Ashok Agarwal of Social Jurist achievement. Civil Society has So does this mean an end to the has been waging legal battles to get deprived invariably spoken to him on the campaign mode and a shift to Schildren the right to a decent education. On move, the last time being at quieter lobbying? April 27, another major victory was won. Borivili in Mumbai where we No, not at all. I will continue The Supreme Court passed orders which clear- spent an hour together amid the with the National Campaign ly state that the government has the authority to pandemonium of the Land First Committee on Land and the regulate the fees of unaided private schools. Mela. He was a member of the People's Commission on Land. The court also directed the Directorate of GPF's governing body and has We will seek to provide leader- Education, New Delhi, to ensure that schools served as its general secretary. ship to the young and travel that received cheap land from the government, But recent years have seen him from state to state for cadre must comply with the terms of land allotment. preoccupied with the Ekta building. Wherever we have This means schools cannot hike their fees Parishad, spending time out in gone with our yatras, so many without permission from the Directorate of the field, stirring up grassroots young people come to us. These Education and about 25% of their seats must be causes. He flirted with politics in young people are a huge asset. for students from lower income groups. the Madhya Pradesh assembly There will also be the Jan Adesh "Profit has no place in education," says elections five months ago, sup- 2007 through which the Ekta Agarwal. "Its guiding spirit should be communi- porting Digvijay Singh and the PV Rajgopal Parishad and others will serve ty service. This principle flows from our Congress. But so rough was the notice on the government to Constitution and various rulings of the court." ride, that this time around the Ekta redesign its policies so that they The Delhi government has ordered the private Parishad kept a safe distance from ‘We also need a group include the poor. Twenty-five thousand schools to admit children from poorer homes, politicians of all hues. people will set out from Gwalior and but most schools are in no mood to comply and Land First and the Ekta Parishad's which can intervene in walk to Delhi. some are contemplating legal action, once again. other causes are still very important to 2007 is a long way off. Why have you Agarwal fought the case for the Abhibhavak him. But it is at the GPF that Rajgopal is regional conflicts and chosen Gwalior? Mahasangh, a forum of concerned parents. In helping put a whole new initiative in Because Ekta Parishad has a large base 1997 private unaided schools hiked their fees place. In years gone by, the GPF has ask the question: Hey there and therefore organisationally it between 40% to 400%. They claimed higher played an important role in the Naga what is going on here? is a good place to begin. It will also salaries had to be paid to teachers because of the peace talks and Bangladesh's struggle mean cutting through Madhya recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. for independence. Its representatives From Sri Lanka to Nepal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and About one-third of school children in Delhi have addressed the UN General then into Delhi. study in 1500 unaided recognised private Assembly on world peace and disarma- to Nagaland.’ schools. While most are middle- class, there are ment. It was from here that the late Like all good NGO leaders, you have many from poor homes. Education doled out in Jayaprakash Narayan intervened and objective. There are hundreds and been holding an endless number of several government schools is sub- standard. got the dacoits of Chambal to surrender. thousands of social activists and meetings. What's on the cards? "We see a trend of poorer parents returning to The GPF believes that the time is groups who are looking for such sup- The idea is to create programmes and government schools because they can't afford right to bring back some of this activism. port. resources and define a vision that lives the high fees," says Agarwal. It can play a role in resolving conflicts in Secondly, there is an impression that up to the times. A water and peace The parents' protests at that time fell on deaf South Asia and create the space for ini- Gandhism is dead. This is not true. mela is planned in October. Currently, ears. So they organised themselves under the tiators of change who may not belong to There are several Gandhians making a there are 40 people at the GPF in Delhi. banner of the Mahasangh. In October 1998 the the Left or the Right. Extracts from a difference every day, cooling commu- We spend about Rs 30 lakhs a year and High Court accepted the plea of the parents. It conversation with Rajgopal: nal passions, helping communities just Rs 7 lakhs comes from our corpus. said the government could intervene if fee hikes solve their environmental problems The rest comes from renting out the were unfair and that schools should decide Why are you back at the GPF? and so on. It goes unnoticed. It will be auditorium, selling books like these after discussions with the parents. It has become fashionable to believe our endeavour to promote in the media Anupam's book on water and so on. While fighting the case, Agarwal came across papers showing that schools were getting land at throwaway prices but they were not admitting DEVELOPMENTOON BY SHARAD poor children. He informed the court. The Delhi government did try to fix the fees but the private schools ganged together and appealed to the Supreme Court against the judg- ment of the High Court. Their appeal has now been rejected. The court had appointed a Justice Duggal committee to examine whether the fee hike was justified. The Duggal Committee observed that out of 142 schools only two were justified in raising the fees. "It is estimated that since 1997-98 till this year, the schools have unjustly charged excess amount to the extent of Rs 3000 crores from the hapless parents of Delhi," said Agarwal. "The parents are entitled to get this amount back immediately." June 2004 INDIA CIVIL SOCIETY 5 School with a clear conscience CAPT. SURESH SHARMA Rathi A Menon Panchkula

LEVEN bubbly children, neatly attired in school uni- form, conversed eagerly in English, a language they Ehave recently learnt. They come from poor homes and study at the DC Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 7 of Panchkula. The school, voluntarily and quiet- ly, admits children from low- income groups. “Our aim is to save the intelligence in our country. We can't remove poverty single-handedly. Our missive to schools in all districts of Haryana is-- if the child is intel- ligent and money is a problem, please send the child to us,” says Bharat B Gupta, the school's principal. While elite schools in Delhi quibble over the Delhi gov- ernment's order to reserve seats for poor children, the DC Model School has adopted them without a fuss. The children are wining laurels in various competitions. One academic session has ended and they came through with flying colours. “I stand first in my class. I got 89%'' says Kavita, a stu- dent of Class 8. Saurabh and Sumit chip in. “Our results and rank have improved after coming here. Earlier we used to be in the 11th or 12th position but now we come third or fourth.'' Kavita is a national certificate holder in yoga. Kamlesh Bharat B Gupta, principal of DC Model School (centre) with students and Sunil are state-level taekwondo champions while Arun and Saurabh are in the state yoga team. But the best what should be done and how to go about it.'' And when the children became willing supporters, the parents also success story is Poonam's. “Since there was not much of the school opens a new branch near Pinjore, they will approved,'' says Gupta. that different species feeling towards us, we could do admit poorer children from the start. “That school has The only problem was how to make the children do what we always wanted to do. Earlier we used to watch boarding facilities. If such a child is taken care of from their home work since nobody at home would be able to the other children doing. Now we do.'' This achievement the nursery stage, then his or her growth will be the help. Kiran Kaushal, volunteered. She provided the chil- is reflected in the home. same as the other children," says Gupta dren with cycles so that they could go to her for their “Now we can teach our brothers and sisters,'' say Julie According to him there are two more schools admitting home work. Kiran has become more than a tutor. “She and Tushar. children from poorer homes. loves us like her own children,'' says Sumit. For Gupta, Gupta points out the school adopted a systematic "They have class restrictions," he says. "The Little she is an excellent go between. “She knows their inner- approach. A letter was sent to all government schools in Flower School is only up to Class 8. Students who score most feelings. So if anything goes wrong, we know how Panchkula saying that the DC Model School intended to more than 70% are admitted here." There is also a to rectify it,'' says Gupta. adopt children from the poorest sections of society and Gurukool, but it is till Class 5. After that, the children are It's hard to find a difference between the poorer chil- that there would be a test. Children who passed would be admitted to the DC Model School. " Since the Gurukool dren and their richer classmates. admitted to the school, free of cost. had taken these children from a very young age, they are As one parent remarked after a yoga drill. “I did not Out of 135 students who appeared for the test, only 17 now up to the mark,'' says Gupta. know they were from slums. They looked so confident were found eligible. They were given uniforms and books Gupta discussed the school's policy of admitting poor- and well-groomed like my daughter or your son.'' Though and provided a nutritious diet during school hours. They er children with the parents of wealthier students. "I the children have shed their inhibitions, their parents were put together in a separate section. “It was done to asked them, do you want to make your child great or find it difficult to come for parent-teacher meetings. But guard the children from developing any complex and to good?" he says. A play was staged on the same theme. Gupta has this to say, “From our side we want them to tell enhance their learning capacity. Initially, all subjects were "After that we organized food for the children in slums. us what more we can do. For we feel they have obliged us taught in Hindi. Then we began to switch over slowly to The girls cooked and the boys distributed it. That by giving us a chance. School is, of course, a business but English, one subject at a time,'' says Gupta. changed the richer children's attitude. They realised the we have tried to put a little conscience into it.'' The children are no longer in a separate section. “This advantages they had. This was a character-building exer- Contact the school at 0172-3096458, was an experiment,'' Gupta remarks. ``Now we know cise, for our motto is `education in human values'. When 0172-2597545/ 2596464. Burning Brain finds smoking ban hazy withheld and not notified. For instance, selling cigarette any place not enclosed by four walls is an open area. Civil Society News within 100 yards of an educational institution has not Hotels with a seating capacity of 30 or more are per- Chandigarh been enforced. mitted to have a smoking area for their customers. "This Goswami pointed out when the Delhi government is against the spirit of the Act," said Goswami. " If smok- URNING Brain Society's anti-smoking wing reviewed enacted similar legislation in 1996, it included Section 8 ers and non-smokers share the same space and roof it the union government's decision to enforce legisla- that prohibited the sale of cigarettes to minors and hardly matters whether it is a room for 30 or more Btion banning advertisement of cigarettes and regu- Section 9, which banned sale within a radius of 100 because the effect of passive smoking will be there for lating its consumption from May 1. Burning Brain mem- meters around educational institutes. When the notifi- non-smokers." bers concluded the ban was only on paper. cation was issued in January 1997 these two sections Another big area ignored in the Act is the littering of Hemant Goswami, chairperson of Burning Brain were excluded. It took around five years for these sec- cigarette butts by smokers. "Cigarette butts are very Society said that implementing agencies appear to be in tions of the Delhi Act to see the light of day. harmful and contain many toxic chemicals," said no mood to enforce the smoking prohibition act. "If the Act was not to be notified and applied in full, Goswami. Over 4.5 trillion cigarettes are littered world- No hotel in the region, not even government ones, then why did the government falsely pretend to be con- wide each year. Wind and rain often carry cigarette have put up the mandatory board at the entrance stat- cerned about the ill-effects of smoking," asked Goswami. butts into waterways, where toxic chemicals in the ciga- ing, "No Smoking Area - Smoking Here is an Offence." Although the Act bans smoking of cigarettes or any rette filters leak out, threatening the quality of the Neither have hotels designated areas as Smoking or No- tobacco product in public places, the definition of public water and the creatures who live in it. "Addressing this Smoking, although they were supposed to do so by May places excludes all open space, which means that peo- problem is as important as controlling smoking in pub- 1, said Goswami. Smokers did not fear the Rs 200 fine, ple can smoke in corridors and compounds of public lic places," said Goswami. at all. places or in markets and parks. Technically speaking, For more details: Several crucial sections of the original Act have been Tel: 0172-3233200, 5185600, 2700001 6 CIVIL SOCIETY INDIA June 2004 Turban, kirpan, some earthworms CAPT. SURESH SHARMA Rathi A Menon impression was, this foreign sardarji will not Anandpur Sahib be able to farm without fertilisers. But Darshan was determined. “The advantage is ICHEL Rudel was born in southern this light soil. Heavy soil retains fertilisers France, a region where grapes and and pesticides for long. But light soil washes Malmonds grew aplenty. He followed his it off.” soul to village Nupur Bedi, near Anandpur Darshan uses farmyard manure and green Sahib, the spiritual heart of Sikhism, to leaf manure to enrich soil. Household waste become Darshan Singh, a Sikh and an organic is directed into the fields through farmer. His 12-acre farm equipped with gobar underground pipes. Amazingly, there are no gas, revives memories of the homespun flies. "When you do it in layers, flies don't farmer, lost in the frenetic days of the Green breed and hence there is no threat of Revolution. diseases." Pink earthworms are hard at work "If you run after quick results, you are sure in the manure shed. “The manure they churn to suffer side effects. The fertile soil of out is very smooth,'' says Darshan. Punjab is withering away. Why? Because high- "In Punjab, people burn the waste from the yielding varieties of seeds are being overused. wheat harvest, destroying all the natural The soil does not get rest. These seeds need nutrients. No wonder all the earthworms lots of fertiliser and water. So the water table have disappeared. Here I put the waste at the goes down, '' explains Darshan, stroking his foot of plants. After the rains, the waste salt and pepper beard. Pointing to grains of becomes manure. I do the same with soya wheat spread out to dry, he says, ``When we bean waste." started, the initial yield of wheat used to be An important problem is tackling weeds. hardly 25 quintals. Now I get 45 quintals and “They are very deep-rooted and suck all our wheat is overbooked. Organic farming is nutrients. Crop rotation is the only way to like homeopathy, giving you results slowly keep all these irritants out." Peanuts, rice, but with an everlasting effect." potato, moong dal and sugarcane are some of Darshan always stood out from the crowd. the crops cultivated. "We became famous for Even as a child he was a strict vegetarian. our high-quality gur," says Darshan. Later he showed a penchant for long hair and Sugarcane, he explains, brings a lot of organic a beard. As he grew into adulthood, he matter into the soil. He raises saplings from frequently asked why he could not sport hair traditional seeds. "Where do we get desi like Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed. His varieties of seeds nowadays? High time we searching question led to clashes with the started protecting the traditional varieties.” local priest. What irritated him the most, he High profile crusaders have let him down. says, were the differences between various A Dehra Dun-based organisation, led by a groups practising Christianity. The orthodoxy diva of organic farming and traditional of the church made him an atheist and a wisdom, dilly-dallied over sending him seeds. wanderer. Darshan Singh at his farm "After some time, I gave up on them," says But a visit to India in 1976-77 changed his Darshan, simply. The government too has outlook. He got attracted to Sikhism. ``I felt I received baptism, he returned to France. The authorities would been lackadaisical. answers to all my questions from Sikhism. My faith in not allow him entry unless he reverted to his old name “ If a few of us, who have lots of fruit trees, get together religion was restored." So on his second visit, this time to and religion. “In France, we are not allowed to change our and the government sets up a processing plant, then our Mumbai in 1980, he bought a turban. He was baptised at name as per religion,” explains Darshan. In protest, he produce can be processed and sold," he says. Most of Anandpur Sahib in 1991. renounced his French citizenship and became a British Darshan's produce has been sold by word of mouth. He then reflected on what he wanted to do. "I had national. “A sardar here, who had been told to eat organic food some good friends, who were doing organic farming in He returned to India and married Malwinder Kaur. by his doctor after a severe heart attack, is our regular Europe and I went to stay with them. That became my "Everyone abroad discouraged me from settling here. But customer and marketing man. He has been putting up school. When I found that trees and plants, which got I wanted to marry a practicing Sikh, settle somewhere posters in stores and spreading information about us.” natural manure, were becoming immune to pests and near Anandpur Sahib and practice organic farming." Anyone who has tasted the brown rice, wheat flour and yielding delicious fruit, I realised the value of organic Darshan and Malwinder acquired their farm at Kang potato from Darshan's farm, or savoured the tea, gently farming." Since he had decided to farm in India, he saved village near Nupur Bedi after a year long search. ``When flavoured with jaggery, can never find the food sold in money by doing odd jobs. He was a landscape gardener in we came here, the land was sandy. The previous owner upmarket stores, worthy of a second glance. Japan and a teacher in a London school. cultivated mainly wheat and maize, not very successfully. But Darshan always stuck to his principles. After his When I started my organic methods, the general You can contact Darshan and Manwinder at 0172-2609082 or 01887-240372 India, please tell US to clean Bhopal Civil Society News disaster site and its continue to leach poisons The deadline for receipt of such New Delhi surrounding areas. In (which include carcinogens and a letter by the US Court is June reinstating the case of Sajida heavy metals) into the drinking 30, 2004. INDIA has an opportunity to Bano et al vs. Union Carbide water supply of at least 20,000 Greenpeace activists are bring Union Carbide to book for Corporation and Warren Bhopal residents while urging concerned citizens to the disaster at its plant in Anderson to the Southern exacerbating the health impacts take action and tell the Bhopal, according to a release District Court of New York, the among the survivors . Government of India and the issued by Greenpeace. Court of Appeals ruled that The US Court of Appeals has state government of Madhya On March 17, the Second Union Carbide could be made to said that if the Government of Pradesh to send this Circuit Court of Appeals in New undertake and bear the costs of India or Madhya Pradesh issues communication and ensure that York, USA, presented the Indian remediation of the factory site a letter to Judge Keenan stating justice is brought to the victims Government with a unique in Bhopal. Thousands of tons of they have no objection to Union of the Bhopal gas tragedy. opportunity to hold the Polluter toxic wastes dumped and Carbide cleaning up its toxic - Dow/Carbide responsible for abandoned by Union Carbide in ontamination, it would enable http://www.greenpeaceindia.org the clean-up of the Bhopal gas and around the site in Bhopal him to take appropriate action. Mobile Number: +91 9845535418 June 2004 INDIA CIVIL SOCIETY 7

distance of the sun from the earth. So, this time on 8 June when the TOV occurs, Monterio has something planned for children and adults in Mumbai. Navnirmiti has printed little booklets that have a series of simple experiments lined up to measure the Jupiter, size of Venus, Earth, Sun and their spatial distances from each other. Navnirmiti has made solar filters. Tested by the TISR, these filters merely cost Rs. 5 a piece. Through them you can look at the sun as if it were the moon. Children will now be able to see the spot, made by Venus (sort of an Sun, eclipse), on the sun. But that will be too tiny, and the image would be intangible. So Monterio suggests two methods to project an image onto a screen. The first is to make a telescope with a small lens and cardboard. Then focus the image on a sheet of paper placed below the telescope. The second is to project an image using a maths simple mirror onto a wall. Here the mirror has to be correctly angled and the further away the wall is the bigger and clearer the image of the sun will be. and fun Using the ratio of the size of the sun and the size of the Deepali Gupta Mumbai

ATHS and science may be dreaded subjects for children but Dr. Vivek M Monterio makes it fun. That is precisely why he conceived Navnirmiti, to universalise maths so that every child is Dr. Vivek Monterio of Navnirmiti comfortable with the subject. "Maths is the language of science and science is the foundation of model. Special worksheets are designed to test the today's world. But science can be very difficult, children at the end of every session. mystifying and obscure. Plus these are subjects most Till date Navnirmiti's programs have been children fail," he says. implemented in five schools. "At present our priorities Monterio and his motivated team are all set to make a are the municipal and tribal schools. We go to children difference to the young learner's mind. "We follow the who do not have access to these facilities," says Monterio. Confucian principle-- I hear I forget, I see I remember and The kind of teaching methods Monterio is promoting spot made by Venus, you can calculate the sizes and I do I understand," says Kishore Jadav, an employee at don't need ideal conditions. Only the teachers require a distances between the Earth and the Sun. The best part is Navnirmiti. little training which they get in the odd 50 workshops that these experiments use inexpensive, household Navnirmiti was founded in 1995 as a women's co- Navnirmiti holds annually. articles so anyone can conduct the experiments. operative after the closing of the DMV Pharmaceuticals Apart from maths programs Monterio also runs an Navnirmiti is a non-profit organisation. Today it factory. Initially, it was a means to generate a living for extensive program he calls "Sunderstanding," which provides viable employment for women. They have five the women who found themselves out of work after the means understanding the sun's phenomena. From charts women working for them full time, and more are factory closed down. They made solar filters so people that explain the heat and light rays from the sun to employed every time there is a big project like TOV. It has could watch the solar eclipse of 1995. From the sale of experiments for spotting storms on the sun, this program made a difference to the lives of several lakh children. It those filters they managed to raise Rs. 3 lakhs. includes all that relates to the sun. This June, a giant sun also provides employment to young people by deploying Navnirmiti has been mostly a self-sustaining related phenomenon is going to occur: the Transit of them for promotional efforts. Navnirmiti aspires to give organisation. Venus (TOV). The Transit of Venus is rare, so rare that it better quality education to one and all. If you would like Navnirmiti models classroom sessions for primary was last observed 121 years ago. Yet it is scientifically to order some solar filters and booklets to explore the school children based on the Universal Active Maths significant because it can be used to measure the size and TOV just send an e-mail to [email protected].

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REAL REFORMS PLEASE Reforms have shown industry and government cavorting together in perfect harmony. They have left no space for the consumer and the citizen. The Manmohan Singh government should listen not only to the mandarins of CII and FICCI , but tune into other voices as well.

Umesh Anand (WSF) earlier this year Brazilian and South African friends told us that they were New Delhi shocked by the poverty they saw in India. And they were in Mumbai, the financial cap- ital of the country! What would they say if they went to Patna or Brindavan or Meerut? N the past five years, ruling politicians went to bed at each night with the fervent If there is one lesson to be learnt from the past five years it is that the whimsical prayer that the stock market would keep climbing. Anyone who could charm gyrations of the stock market should not be confused with the state of the economy Iinvestor sentiment was deified. The media happily conspired with them in this. It and the well being of everyone. If it is important to track the Sensex, it is perhaps was important to sound celebratory at all costs. From squeals of delight on the more necessary to know what is happening to the water table. Mumbai bourse, the coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party drew sustenance for its It is worth noting that no Economic Survey makes any mention of the environment. brand of reforms that made the rich richer and chucked at the rest of the country the In one year, a chapter on the environment was written, but it was shoddy and subse- option of catching up. quently dropped. It is as though the environment has nothing to do with the economy. In the Shining India that Atal Behari Vajpayee bequeaths his successor, the stock For all the achievements in information technology and the availability of some con- market has touched new heights. But millions are out of job, the number of dropouts sumer goods, the deeper reality is that people continue to go hungry and leave their from school keeps growing, tuberculosis is rampant and AIDS casts its shadow as an homes in the villages to flood the cities. More than one-third of Delhi consists of fes- epidemic, urban infrastructure is on the verge of collapse and food distribution is tering slums and the poverty and filth of Mumbai hardly allow it to qualify as a mod- mired in corruption. ern metropolis. It speaks volumes for India's rich and super rich that they can live Reforms have made life easier for some parts of industry. They have also served the amid such filth and pretend that nothing is wrong. rich and middle class consumer because the varieties of goods and brands have grown. The water crisis has got worse. Shortages in the cities get all the attention, but the Phones are finally available in plenty, though telecom's benefits come ten years too water shortages in the villages are destroying livelihoods and health and making peo- late. Businesses in information technology and pharmaceuticals have given Indians the ple into environmental refugees. status of being world-beaters. Even as ministers of the previous regime waxed eloquent about opening up the But it is difficult to hide the true face of the country. During the World Social Forum economy, the agriculture sector sank into further into despair. Market reforms never June 2004 COVER CIVIL SOCIETY 9

reached the farmer. Nor did solutions to falling yields and the wanton misuse of pesti- watershed management, control of pollution and so on. Empower citizens and com- cides and chemical fertilisers. munities to manage their water, provide them the financial and institutional support Keeping a stock market ticking is a part of the business of positioning an emerging to make it possible. Decisions on whether a large- scale water project is really needed economy. A sprightly stock market sends out signals that all is well in the world of must come from the community. business and finance. Dr Manmohan Singh's government can be expected to do a good SECULARISM: The election of the Congress and the diminishing of the BJP is if any- job of this. thing a clear vote against the politics of communalism. The new government needs to Large doses of foreign direct investment will continue to be required if the Tenth honour this. Plan's target of providing nearly eight million jobs a year is to be met. The government RIGHT TO INFORMATION: Accountability comes primarily from the right of the citi- will be striving to achieve a GDP growth rate of eight per cent and industrial growth of zen to know what a government is up to. A government that is not answerable to 10 per cent. every single citizen is no government at all. When Parivartan used Delhi's right to But industrial growth has to come with social justice and ecological balance. Big information law to examine civic works in east Delhi, it found that of Rs 1 crore of industry is also not the sole answer to the kind of joblessness that India is witnessing. bills paid more than Rs 76 lakhs had been defalcated. If this is so in one neighbour- The Manmohan Singh government will, therefore, have to nimble and innovative in hood in Delhi, what must the scale of corruption be across the country? The time has the kind of solutions it looks for so that they touch the lives of ordinary people. It will come to implement a rigorous right to information law at the national level. have to spend less time listening to sophisticated mandarins of CII and FICCI and tune ENCOURAGE PRESS FREEDOM: The need for quality information in a democracy into real voices. should be underlined. A free press is certain guarantee against misrule. It is the best Unfortunately, reforms, as we have known them, have shown industry and govern- and cheapest feedback that politicians can hope for. It is in everyone's interest to ment cavorting together in perfect harmony. They have left no space for the consumer break up monopolies in the media and encourage a proliferation of small and inde- and the citizen. pendent mediums. Radio, for instance, should be made accessible to the community This an age of local solutions and many of them and not business houses alone. Innumerable exam- SAAB PICTURES cost nothing. Experience shows that success in gov- ples exist where illiterate women have radio sta- ernance comes not so much from squandering tions and provide invaluable information and educa- money but from listening, learning and passing on tion to the community. Legitimise these efforts. ownership. Be it water, forests, public transport, air Similarly there should be finance mechanisms for pollution or education, the government's success will setting up small publications. The country needs depend on how successfully it engages with stake- thousands of publishers not the monopoly of a few holders. who dance to the tune of advertisers. What makes a tiny panchayat in Kerala take on the GRASSROOTS LIBERALISATION: Unshackling big might of Coca-Cola? What drives an income-tax offi- industry from cumbersome procedure is important. cer to give up his job and work in a slum for the citi- But liberalisation must finally be for everyone. The zen's right to information? Why is it important to set government must get off the back of communities, up a postal service for the homeless? How do tradi- which want to manage their own resources be they tional water harvesting structures rescue people water or forests. Rajinder Singh has shown how from drought when costly irrigation schemes fail? water resources can be managed in drought-hit The answer in each case is that people left in the Rajasthan and yet he lives in constant conflict with lurch are forced to look for their own solutions and the red tape of the state government. There are they come up with ones that put governments to many other examples in education and health which shame. the government should help multiply. Forest policy A Union government has an important role to play needs to be revamped so that forests become assets in creating an atmosphere in the country in which it for local people and not the sealed-off jagir of offi- becomes important to involve citizens and seek real cers of the sarkar. time solutions to problems. So far individual states SMALL AND MINI UNITS: Finally job creation in siz- have gone about doing this with varied results. For able numbers will have to come from small and even instance, Sheila Dikshit returned to power by involv- mini enterprises that are ecologically sustainable. It ing resident welfare associations with the government in Delhi. Her Bhagidari system could be a medicinal plants business or an organic farm. At present there is no real did not achieve much on the ground, but it gave citizens a role. Now other urban cen- encouragement given to these enterprises though they translate into real prosperity at tres want to replicate Bhagidari. levels where it is needed the most urgently. There is scope for the government to show more trust in civil society. CNG for pub- At election time, the BJP government's India Shining advertising campaign dwelt on lic transport is one example of an idea in the public interest which could have been the middle class enjoying the goodies of liberalisation. It portrayed a retiree reading a implemented without going to court. Similarly, Coca-Cola and Pepsi should have been business paper and jumping with joy because the stock market was doing well. It brought to book much more readily for the quality of their products. If only the gov- showed chubby children and healthy young men and women in be-happy-don't-worry ernment would be receptive, the issue of unwanted chemicals in the food chain could mode. be addressed with huge benefits accruing to public health and agriculture. The market, it seemed, was the panacea for everything. But was this kind of reform We spoke to civil society leaders from across the country about what they consid- enough? It seems now for sure that it wasn't. The Shining India advertising had to be ered to be the priorities for the new government in Delhi. Some of what they had to withdrawn midway. Its belated termination showed how much of a disconnect there say is summed up below. was between the people in power and votes they were seeking. WATER, WATER, WATER: Everybody knows that without water you have nothing. Yet Somewhere the common Indian had been forgotten. Reforms had not touched her the government opts for expensive ambitious river linking projects, even as glaciers life. Instead, the Congress' advertisement: Congress ka hath, aam aadmi ke saath (the like the Gangotri are melting. Instead, individuals and communities have shown how Congress stands by the average person) had a much bigger impact. It was run widely in to do it. Anna Hazare, Rajendra Singh, and village Laporia are three textbook examples. the suburban media and the results are there for all to see. Now is the time to convert These need to be multiplied across the country along with groundwater recharge, a successful political slogan into successful political action.

Protect natural water bodies Herbal gardens for health security MAHASWETA DEVI DARSHAN SHANKAR Writer and activist, DNT RAG Director, Foundation for the Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) Ensuring adequate drinking water and irrigation water through- Give health security to millions of rural and urban households by out the country. The government has to work towards a perma- providing seed capital to community based organisations to nent solution to the water scarcity problem. This includes water establish a self-financing network of ecosystem specific home harvesting, careful and intelligently planned reforestation and herbal gardens and multi-lingual home healthcare websites based afforestation programmes and a ban on the filling up or destruc- on knowledge and best practices derived from the Indian medical tion of natural water bodies. heritage. FOOD SECURITY: Removal of starvation by the equitable distribu- IN SITU CONSERVATION: Medicinal plant resources known to the tion of food throughout the country. Huge amounts of food grains lie rotting in people of India should be conserved in situ by establishing a nationwide network of warehouses while the people outside starve. This has to be stopped and arrange- forest gene banks, with attached nurseries and seed stores managed by local ments made for fair food distribution to those below the poverty line. Bring the communities (on the model of the 55 pioneering medicinal plant gene banks, public distribution system back to life. established in peninsular India). BLUEPRINT FOR HEALTH: Health is the third essential area, especially heath care KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS: Conserve indigenous medical knowledge through IT and awareness for women and children, who are most at risk. Primary health care powered, knowledge networks of existing centres of excellence in traditional health needs to be urgently revived and taken deep into rural India where it is needed the care, manuscript libraries, folk healers, yoga and kalaripayattu experts, all over India most. and support research, training and extension activities of these networks. 10 CIVIL SOCIETY COVER June 2004

Put an end to Health-care based on the Arole model communalism JAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN Loksatta ANIL WILSON Principal, St Stephen's College, Delhi. Poor health is the biggest cause of impoverishment and indebtedness in India. Low cost, effective, accessible health care with community participation is eminently feasible, as Arole proved in 400 villages with a population of 500,000 IF there is one single population in Jamkhed area. This is a time-tested model which needs to be replicated all over India quickly. factor that threatens to HIGHER EDUCATION: Our higher education is the USP of India. But in most cases (excluding a few prestigious rip apart the fabric of institutions) it is on the verge of collapse. Happily students, parents and the society want improvements. A few non- our society it is the monetary inputs can make a huge difference: game of good cop, bad Selection of teachers from other universities to prevent in-breeding. cop played by the BJP Electives system to promote academic democracy, student choice, teacher accountability and accent on humanities. with the minorities. Change in examinations to promote analytical skills, application, and problem solving approach. The new government needs to create a Other relevant changes like purposive research and development and community interaction. visible and viable strategy to counter the PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION : The incentives in politics are severely distorted and huge sums of money and muscle power have virus of communalism and get the become integral to electioneering. This leads to a vicious cycle of corruption and mis-governance. All major parties tend to nominate minorities off the roller coaster ride they "winnable" candidates who muster these resources, and no matter who wins, the nature of the exercise of power is unaltered. Only have been subjected to so far. It is also electoral system change to PR can alter this. PR can be accomplished by a mere amendment of law (R P Act), as the Constitution (Art 81 time to show the world that if the Indian and 82; and Art 170) allow multi-member constituencies. Models suitable for our conditions are available. brain is one of the best in the world, the Indian heart is no less so. CORRUPTION: We have come to a situa- tion where corruption is not only taken Ensure equitable use of water for granted but the capacity for making SUNITA NARAIN as much money as possible from one's Director, Centre for Science and Environment position is considered to be the hallmark of prudent living! No society worth its It is clear that the issue of water will determine the future of India. It is also clear that water management is more salt can continue in this fashion and about reforming structures of governance than renaming and issuing new programmes. This agenda will require hope to survive. The new government enormous institutional innovation and high-level direction and monitoring. has to show that not only is zero toler- GROWTH WITH JOBS: The key to employment will be in building productive and sustainable livelihoods based on ance of corruption the flip side of good natural resources. The formal industrial sector has never been the provider of employment in the country and in governance but also that anti-corruption the years to come its contribution, with scale and mechanisation, will decline even further. The service economies is central to poverty alleviation. - outsourcing including - will grow but cannot really absorb jobseekers in a country the size of India. Shining WORK ETHIC: Society thrives on a cul- India's growth-without-jobs syndrome has to be broken. tural norm that places a moral value on EDUCATION AND HEALTH SERVICES: Government investments in these two critical areas must be substantially increased. But doing a good job because work has intrin- delivery of these services to the poorest of the poor will again require considerable institutional innovation. sic value for its own sake. Successive gov- ernments have struck at the roots of this norm through their penchant for declar- ing holidays at the drop of a hat. This sit- Metrics driven accountability mechanism for MPs uation is exacerbated by the strikes and V. RAVICHANDAR bandhs that often have the effect of Ideas for Governance Trust holding society to ransom. The new gov- Every MP should be made to publicly set out his or her short term goals and long term goals. These should be in ernment needs to address this issue by terms of specific metrics. Have annual review forums. The idea is to bring in a laser like implementation focus promoting the idea of an honest day's with the elected representative work through action and propagation. working out the mechanisms to deliver on the promises between Centre, State and local bodies. CITIES AS SELF-RRELIANT CENTERS: Plan for urban development with own finances through systemic measures in augmenting resources - in Bangalore over Rs. 400 crores infrastructure investment with no drain on state finances since 2000. The idea is to conserve government resources for investments for the rural populace and the economi- Give citizens cally challenged sections in urban areas. information PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY: Build a forum for citizens to engage with government on a regular basis. ARVIND KEJRIWAL Parivartan Send the young to school Enact an effective Right to Information Act that MAYA MENON has provisions like The Teacher Foundation penalty on officers who The government and its departments of education will need to use innovative ways to attract out-of-school children do not provide from the streets and homes, particularly girls, into schools. Schools therefore need to become exciting places where information in time. magical things, including learning happens. While there are many committed NGOs working assiduously to get The Act should also children back into schools, the drop out rate is very high. provide for an independent appellate TEACHER DEVELOPMENT: One vital, corrective measure is, providing high quality, ongoing teacher development body where people could file appeals if opportunities, support and monitoring. While the NCERT and its state equivalents do run training programmes, they they do not receive information in time or are often ineffective in improving classroom practice. Moreover they need both professional and emotional support to are not satisfied with the information make that change permanent. received. IMPROVE CURRICULUM: A good curriculum is one that is relevant to the lives of diverse young people. Improvements in the DECENTRALISE: Create institutions of curriculum become meaningful only if they are reflected in better assessment and evaluation practices. self- governance in urban areas on the lines of rural panchayats by implementing the 74th amendment to Make media more democratic the constitution. These institutions should be required to make budgets for ASHISH SEN their own areas by holding public VOICES meetings. All these budgets from across In a country of daunting diversity and contrasts the role of community media and community radio in particular, has critical the country should be integrated to make significance. Community radio, which has enormous potential in terms of human development remains to be legitimised by the law of the national budget. the land despite the Supreme Court Judgement of 1995 which endorsed that airwaves are public property. Work done at the ground EFFECTIVE LOKPAL: Pass legislation to level demonstrates that communities, especially poor communities in rural India, have effectively managed and used audio or radio for create an effective Lokpal who would their development .Examples include Namma Dhwani in Karnataka and Pastapur Media Centre in Andhra Pradesh. They need to be have the powers and machinery to viewed as legitimate producers of information. rather than passive recipients. independently investigate cases of HELP THE DISABLED: Approximately six per cent of the country's population are people with disabilities. The Persons with Disability corruption brought to its notice by the Act of 1995 emphasised access, education and employment as rights which are crucial for the community's empowerment. Yet, there is people and also award punishment to the a marked gap between precept and practice which has handicapped the implementation of these components . A country- wide guilty officials or politicians. campaign is required to bridge the gap. June 2004 COVER CIVIL SOCIETY 11

Forget about linking rivers Try Modi, reopen ANUPAM MISHRA Gandhi Peace Foundation Gujarat cases The new government should de- link itself from the interlinking of rivers project. Before the elections neither SHABNAM HASHMI Congress nor its allies had taken a firm stand on this issue. Instead it should focus on various traditional methods Act Now for Harmony and Democracy known to the voters. (ANHAD) COMMON PROPERTY: "Shyamlat - Deh" is a term that has been honoured since the Mughal period. But somehow it Sack Narendra Modi. has lost its significance after independence. It is a combination of "Shamil" and "Dehat" which means common Try him for genocide. property resources. These comprise pasture land, tanks and village forests. The time has come to shift emphasis Reopen all 2000 cases from IT to these basic amenities which will enable the country to cope with the drought. Tarun Bharat Sangh and which have been Gramvikas Navyuvak Mandal, Laporia have shown that by taking care of these small things they could fight with drought for six years. thrown out without a THINK WATER: It's high time that the government raised the "water level" of its programmes. The "water table" will take care of itself. trial. CLEAN UP TEXTBOOKS: Immediately secularise all educational, research and cultural Give communities degraded land institutions. The communal text books ASHISH KOTHARI introduced by the Sangh Parivar must be Kalparvriksh scrapped. The syllabus of Shishu Mandirs Putting major focus and investments into regeneration of degraded land and water-bodies (which cover more than and Ekal Vidyalaya's should be monitored. 60% of India!)...through local species, control by local communities and with a major stress on generating The ideology of hatred must be countered employment...this could in fact be the single biggest source of employment and livelihood in India if properly on a war footing both for political cadres planned, and would help tremendously in reviving the environment, providing appropriate development to rural as well as people at large. areas, and taking the pressure off our cities. JOBS FOR THE YOUNG: Introduce a pro- WATER SECURITY: Reorienting 'development' to be centrally sensitive to environmental sustainability and local poor economic agenda and give priority to decision-making, and in particular to issues of water availability and quality, access to productive land and schemes that provide employment to the biodiversity conservation. This means having to assess each of the economic sectors, especially industry, agriculture, infrastructure, youth. energy and trade to see how they are currently destructive of the environment and of local community livelihoods and then changing them to become more sensitive to these concerns. It means ensuring water security for all, through decentralised water harvesting and other means. PMO should CHECK MEGA PROJECTS: Preparing through a nation-wide consultative process, local to national land and water use plans that identify ecologically sensitive areas that should be off-limits to largescale 'development' projects and culturally sensitive areas where special monitor AIDS attention can be paid towards 'alternative' development and welfare programmes. Such a plan needs to be long-term, and not easy to KALPANA JAIN mess around with...it would mean for instance that identified protected areas, areas conserved by communities, water sources, coastal Author Positive Lives systems are simply not allowed for mining, big dams, urban expansion, large industry. The Prime Minister's office should take the lead on the national AIDS control programme. The HIV/AIDS epidemic will Provide clean drinking water continue to be viewed as a health problem RAJENDRA SINGH till such time as the programme rests Tarun Bharat Sangh solely with the health ministry. To give it It is the moral duty of any government to provide clean drinking water to citizens, free of cost. Selling water to the required urgency, it needs to seen as citizens should not be in the reform agenda. being implemented by the PM's office. DON’T PRIVATISE WATER: No river should be privatised as it was attempted at some places in the past. The MORE FACILITIES: Build treatment, care Congress government should pass legislation to ensure the right to water. It is time for a Water Security Act. and support facilities. With 4.58 million RESTORE COMMON PROPERTY RESOURCES: Water bodies, pastures, even forts and palaces, once belonged to the people living with HIV, we need adequate community and are now under the custody of private individuals. These should be restored to the people. support systems, which are lacking. INVEST IN HEALTH: Provide the entire package of treatment of all. If we want to be in the league of developed nations, this Spend more on agriculture is the least that should be done. It's time SUMAN SAHAI we invest in people's health. Even with President, Gene Campaign HIV, people can lead long and healthy Devote a substantial part of the national budget to agriculture and rural livelihoods. Create income opportunities lives, provided they get the right care. for rural and adivasi men and women based on their strengths, which are bio-resources and indigenous knowledge. This is the basis of the multi-billion dollar herbal market, which we must tap for rural development- but from the village up, not top down. TEACH VILLAGE CHILDREN: Break the bureaucratic mindset and develop a radical and innovative approach to take Scholarships for education to rural India, especially for girls. Let all colleges and technical institutions take a one-year break, fan out to the villages and teach village children. No technology breakthroughs in IT or biotechnology will be agents of working children development unless most of India can participate. INDRAANI SINGH SUPPORT ISM: Revive the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) in mission mode, as the backbone of the health and veterinary care Literacy India system. These effective, low cost and accessible healing practices can contribute significantly to primary health care at a time when The government has to drug prices are becoming unaffordable. do something to bring working children below the age of 18 back into school. Some of them More powers for local bodies may be earning up to Rs HIMANSHU THAKKAR 2000 a month and have South Asian Network of Dams, Rivers and People lost interest in their studies because of Fifty-seven years after independence and 13 years after the passage of 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment to financial pressures. A scholarship give powers to lo cal bodies on local issues and resources, local bodies have little effective power. If the next Union equivalent to what they earn may be a government wants to improve the lot of the Bharat that voted out the outgoing Union government, it must give good incentive.. effective control over resources and powers to local bodies to take decisions on local issues. LESS RED TAPE: Instead of NGOs having TRANSPARENCY: Even after the passage of the Right to Information Bill, there is little by way of transparency in to run around in circles for grants from governance. Secrecy remains the central mantra of the culture of governance. To make the RTI effective, there needs the government, there should be a cell to be a credible grievance redressal and regulatory system in place at several levels so that those who do not follow which should track genuine NGOs and the norms are punished and citizens know where to go. support their work. FOCUS ON WATER: The outgoing Prime Minister had made large projects, dams and the river linking programme central to the REVIVE GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS: The government's agenda of development. He paid the price as he had no idea what to do to provide drinking water or for alleviating and government should take the help of reducing the impact of drought and floods. If the new dispensation does not want to meet the same fate, it should give top priority to NGOs for improving government schools. local systems like rain water harvesting, groundwater recharge, watershed management, allowing minimum flows in rivers, effective Instead people who want to help are control of pollution and management of existing infrastructure to get optimum outputs and demand side management. treated with suspicion. 12 CIVIL SOCIETY RURAL REPORTER June 2004 Imagine, Finally, Dhari village nomads men learn to sober up looking for canisters." A bhatti owner abused Meena and pointed a sharp weapon at her throat. "I said, alright, cut my throat. I prefer to die while doing some land, jobs good," says Meena. All the women in the group Khursheed Wani surrounded Meena and Srinagar mocked the bhatti owner. "They said, cut my throat, kill EMMED in by Kashmiri separatists and me first," says Meena. "The the Indian army, the Gujjars and women's courage frightened HBakkerwals, nomadic communities who the bhatti owner and he backed once roamed free, are abandoning their cattle off." to work for daily wages. There isn't much Meena and her group hunted choice. Government schemes are steeped in down bhatti owners and corruption and the nomads don't have land to drunks, day and night. The farm. moment one of them was spot- "Security forces occupy most of the largest ted, a whistle would be blown pastures, turning them out of bounds for graz- and the drunkard or bhatti Meena, third from left with her Mahila Mangal Dal ing," says 50 year old Lazzat Khan. His herd of owner would be beaten up with goats has dwindled from 400 to 150. Katyayani Upreti earnings would be devoured by the bichupani. The men would run off The nomads constitute about 15% of Pithoragarh bhattis," remarks Joshi. to neighbouring villages to drink. Kashmir's 10 million people. Historically, they In desperation, Meena accompa- Meena's group chased them, often took their flock to pristine grazing grounds in EN addicted to the bottle are nied by three women, went to the travelling nearly 10 kms. the Tulail and Gurez sectors of Kashmir and to advised to stay clear of Dhari district magistrate's office and "Sometimes we would get a ride. Or the Zanskar region in Ladakh. Since the past Mvillage in Pithoragarh, lodged a complaint with the we'd travel on foot. Women would ten years, these pastures are becoming out of Uttaranchal. Customs and Excise department. leave their siblings behind. We'd bounds for them. "No one in this village dares to The bhattis were raided. "They fine the drunkard Rs 50, if we found The list of forbidden areas gets longer every drink," says Meena, the leader of a caught canisters of liquor and arrest- him." year. Last April, the army shut them out of their hugely successful anti-liquor cam- ed some bhatti owners," says She wrote letters to women in favourite grazing ground: the south Kashmir paign. "We have made the men leave Meena. "Other women arrived and nearby villages, informing them mountain range of Hill Kaka. Other high moun- it. Let them drink just once. They asked why didn't we call them too. about the anti-liquor movement. As tain pastures like Noorpore, Jamian, Gali, will be brought to their senses by a result, the campaign has spread to Godenak, Sarimastan, Girjan and Dorijan are our Mahila Mangal Dal." Bhurmani, Digtali, Majheda, now out of reach because of security concerns. If any man is caught drunk, a If any man is Kaumaichaud and Ched region. The "We are directed to move along the roadside whistle is blown. The Mahila local MLA, Prakash Pant has got the and never venture till the hilltops," says Gafoor Mangal Dal hurries to the spot and caught drunk, a bhattis dismantled. Today, sighting a Bajad. pounces on him. The drunkard is drunkard in Dhari village has Some leaders among the nomads are trying soundly thrashed with bichupani, a become a rare phenomenon. And all to draw public attention to their plight. plant which stings. whistle is blown. the children go to school. Chowdhury Bashir Naaz, for instance says "Who would dare to drink," say Hariram agrees the women's nomads should have access to pastures and Hariram and Manohar, residents of The Mahila Mangal movement has vastly improved Mian Altaf, a former minister has discussed the village. "It is not the police we lives. the issue with the army many times. fear, but these women." Dal hurries to the "If only we had some employment According to one senior army officer, Just eight months ago, liquor had as well," he says with a tinge of sad- “Separatists armed with sophisticated weapons made life hell for the women. "Even spot and pounces ness. are present in the region. We can't leave till our relatives had stopped visiting The bhatti owners and their fami- they are killed or chased away." us," recalls Meena. "All you'd hear lies are not on speaking terms with Caught in the crossfire, the nomads are were drunken brawls, abuse, on him. The the Mahila Mangal Dal. "We took resigned to their fate. They know things will women weeping and children wail- away their livelihood," explains not change. So they are trying to settle. Many ing. A home might not have food, drunkard is Meena, "Their women didn't help us nomads are abandoning their cattle to work as but liquor it certainly had." Meena's since they used to distil the liquor. daily wagers. Since most are unlettered, their husband used to drink too. She left soundly thrashed. Some educated women also kept options are limited. him several times in disgust and their distance because they did not The government has declared both commu- went to her parent's home, only to At once, about 32 of us got together." approve of our rough and ready nities as Scheduled Tribes. But the govern- return. After five days the bhatti owners methods." ment's policies and programmes do not help. This tiny village had 13 illegal dis- were released. Meena took her With no money or an office, The state government's social welfare depart- tilleries (bhattis). Pitambar Joshi, a group to the SDM and DM's offices Meena is determined to continue ment started 13 hostels for the Gujjar and retired aeronautical engineer from and complained, once again. her movement but its focus has Bakkerwal communities. These are in a dilapi- the army, recalls that the first bhatti Surprised by their persistence, the shifted to village development. She dated state. In fact, two hostels have been occu- was opened some ten years ago by officials advised them to form a has sent innumerable applications pied by the army. The state government claims Jogiram, who learnt the ropes in Mahila Mangal Dal and sent two to government officials and met to have started 300 mobile schools for nomadic Delhi. A complaint was lodged with constables for their safety. The situ- with no response. As usual, she is children, but these exist only on paper. the police but he was subsequently ation in the village was getting unfazed. "The entire programme has become a big fail- released. A confident Jogiram began tense. "I have conquered fear," she says. ure because of lack of vigilance and accounta- to believe he was above the law. Undeterred, Meena and her group "Our brothers at Kargil fought hero- bility," says Gujjar leader, Nizamuddin Khatana. Thirteen bhattis opened after that plunged into battle against the bhat- ically for the country. I am unafraid Funds have been misappropriated and the episode. "The women would work ti owners. "About four boys joined of battling for the rights of my vil- entire scheme is steeped in scandal. as daily wagers and their entire us. On day one we destroyed seven lage." June 2004 RURAL REPORTER CIVIL SOCIETY 13 Widow wears red with pride

Usha Chowdhury two daughters to marry. ENS informed her she was says it would have been impossible without help from Barmer entitled to a grant of Rs 5000 from the government to ENS. marry each of her daughters and helped get her the Remarkably, ENS is making a dent in outdated social ANCHA Devi attended her son's wedding in Bajad money. Today both girls are married. A grateful Lila customs and caste equations. During training work- village, Bundi district, Rajasthan, with her shops for single women, widows are encour- Khead held high. Wrapped around it was a aged to apply mehndi, wear bangles and dress bright red scarf. Her family was aghast. She is, colourful. "Previously they would bring colored after all, a widow, they said. According to tra- clothes hidden in a bag but now they wear dition, widows should wear white and remain these during panchayat meetings openly, in invisible during auspicious events. Her family the village," said an ENS activist. decided to boycott her. Kancha Devi was Single women are finally speaking up. The unperturbed. "He is my son," she said, "I have government is lending an ear. Since 1999, ENS every right to be there at his wedding. So what has sorted out five issues with the govern- if I'm a widow." ment. The pension fund for widows has been Kancha Devi got the courage to speak up hiked from Rs 125 to Rs 200. ENS ensured because Ekal Nari Sangathan (ENS), a forum of divorcees got this money too. They are trying single women in Rajasthan told her 15,000 to increase the stipend. women would support her. Education is free, not only for girls but for Since 1999, ENS has been fighting for the boys too. Widows get reservation in govern- rights of widowed and divorced women in 25 ment jobs and priority in drought relief work. districts and 65 blocks of Rajasthan. It has Their daughters get Rs 10,000 for their mar- identified single women in each village and riage, instead of Rs 5000. According to state Widows in colourful clothes at a training camp formed them into committees at panchayat, government circulars, widows are from now block, district and state level. In this way, a network of on, to be called single women. single women has been built up. Kancha Devi got the courage to ENS made sure an order was issued to the panchay- Widowed and divorced women are educated about at and gram sabhas that the opinions of single women their rights and government schemes, laws and poli- speak up because Ekal Nari must be heard and acted on during meetings. cies for them. They are introduced to officials, the To get them a better income ENS sends interested police and voluntary groups in their area. Widows in Sangathan (ENS), a forum of widows to Kasturba Gandhi Trust in Bhilwara for a the same village support one another. If any conflict three-month training programme in tailoring, being a about property, violence or pension crops up, commit- single women in Rajasthan told health worker or an anganwadi worker or running a tee members step in. If need be, they counsel the fam- small shop. Loans are arranged from banks. Hopefully, ily, panchayat or caste members. her 15,000 women would in future, no woman will be forced to don white and Lila, a widow from Ahor village in Jalor district, lead a secluded, helpless life, at the mercy of her fam- found life tough after the death of husband. She had support her. ily or community. ‘The world’s woken up to tribal art’

Rachana Rana Bhattacharya money earned is divided among the artists. tribal idiom? even more damning because this destruc- Hazaribagh It helps run the Sanskriti Kendra and a wel- I believe that a deeper study of different tion was supported by an openly anti-trib- fare fund. Excerpts from an interview with tribal art forms, linked with the beautiful al agenda. Even the generosity of embrac- HE Sanskriti Kendra in Hazaribagh is Bulu Imam: mystical illustrations of our rock paintings ing the Harijan was at the cost of him giv- battling against time to save in the jungle where the soul of ing up his identity. Ethnology refused to Ttribal art from being bull- India was born, will bring forth document tribal folk songs until Verrier dozed by the axe and the crane. a genuine renaissance to the Elwin did so in 1944. I believe a serious Run by Bulu Imam, the Kendra flagging spirit of Indian art. appraisal of tribal art in India is yet to has documented Jharkhand's begin. Since the abolition of the zamindari tribal art and brought it interna- Why do you feel Hazaribagh is system in 1950 and the formation of state tional recognition. so significant? forest departments, the mad scramble to Although Indian tribal art is India has a long history of artis- reap revenue by destroying forests, catching the eye of art collectors tic neglect by responsible extracting minerals and ores began. in international art markets, it authorities. The irretrievable Archaeological monuments were treated is dying in the land of its birth. treasures of the Classic with indifference. Tribal heritage emanates from Pleistocene period in the nooks and crannies of the jun- Narmada Valley now sunk Is it just dams or mining projects too? gle. But forests are being con- under dams, or of the birth- Mining? The less said the better. The stantly destroyed by dams, Bulu Imam, director of Sanskriti Kendra place of Ramapithecus in the biggest open-cast mine in Asia, the mines and other development Sutlej Valley under the Rajmahal Coal Mining Project in the projects. The government does little by What is the relevance of tribal art in Govindsagar dam, or the tribal oblitera- Sahibgunj, Godda and Pakur districts cov- way of creative intervention. today's world? tion of Rarhian culture and paleao-archae- ering 3,200 sq.km have already destroyed In 1993, Imam founded the Tribal A century ago, the Victorian temperament ology in the Lower Damodar Valley are archaeological remains of great value. In Women Artists' Co-operative (TWAC) to recoiled against these mud and dung trib- examples that instantly come to mind. Let the coal mining belt of the Lower promote Khovar and Sohrai, village art utes to human imagination. Today, tribal us not forget that this region is culturally Damodar Valley in Manbhum, a vast treas- forms derived from rock art. Ritual mural art forms are much admired in the new and archaeologically one of the richest in ure of Jain monuments, too numerous to paintings are now done on paper, making anti-materialistic wave sweeping avant- India. Jainism and Buddhism were born mention were destroyed. There are them accessible to the world. garde circles of art. We return to the tree, here. Brahmanism and Islam too devel- records that prove this. Nurtured by the Hazaribagh Chapter of the mother and to life expressed in oped. the Indian National Trust for Art and vibrant, eternal symbols, not only subtle, Stories on pages 12 and 13 have been Cultural Heritage (INTACH), TWAC pro- but as the collective memory of our race. Why is tribal culture being destroyed? sourced from the Charkha Development motes 60 artists in six villages, through There has been a visible attempt to sup- Communication Network exhibitions in India and abroad. The Why is it so important to preserve the press and make extinct tribal culture. It is 14 CIVIL SOCIETY WORLD June 2004 Reporters hound Who will punish US?

HIS column is a Letter From Europe, yet Europe at Baghdad. It was clear from discussions with US private innocent Roma this moment, is inextricably linked to its cousin contractors in Iraq that the prison guards were using across the Atlantic. Try covering events here and R2I techniques," said a former British special forces Valeriu Nicolae T you bump into Iraq at every step. American civilisation officer. Brussels is Eurocentric, if one may use that epithet which He added that British and US military intelligence N 10 April, a German newspaper, Sächsische Zeitung implies the finer achievements of humanity, to soldiers were trained in these techniques at the joint from Dresden reported that a group of "Sinti and Roma" describe the American Empire. services interrogation centre in Ashford, Kent, now Owere parked with their caravans on the fairground of With the onset of the invasion of Iraq, I opened a transferred to the former US base at Chicksands. the eastern part of Zittau. The newspaper wrote that the city new folder on my computer under the heading "War "There is a reservoir of knowledge about these inter- was "tolerating" their stay. Their reporter quoted the director Crimes". The last two weeks have seen a substantial rogation techniques which is retained by former spe- of the Mayor's Office as saying that the Roma do not cause increase in this crammed folder. Students of interna- cial forces soldiers who are being rehired as private any disruption of public order, that they will pay for their tional relations learn in their course 101 that the only contractors in Iraq. Contractors are bringing in their consumption of water and electricity and that the city principle in global politics and foreign policy is nation- old friends". administration will take charge of waste removal. al interest. Likewise, the only guiding principle in busi- It becomes evident that British collaboration has On 21 April, the newspaper reported that residents adja- ness, they are taught, is profit. Combine the two and gone beyond collaboration in an unjust war. It includes cent to the fairground were upset about garbage left behind you have the ethos for post-indus- crimes against humanity that by the Roma. A picture of the fairground with garbage was trial America and Europe. Morality stretch from Bagram in displayed. Towards the end of the story the reporter quoted and ethics have space only in Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay in the office of public order stating that the city did remove the grand back-thumping celebrations Cuba to Al Ghraib in Iraq and oth- refuse and the Roma paid for this, in advance. of history, very much in the des- ers that are yet to surface. So, how Then on 23 April, the newspaper’s reporter quotes a Rom perate style of "Mother's Day" cele- will the British population and the as saying that his group arrived from India (!) and that they brations, in a society that has bid European people react? spent several months in Europe each year. He is further farewell to any real sentiment for At the end of the Second World quoted as saying that his group does not want to annoy any- the elderly. War, there were powerful victors body. Once again, the director of the Mayor's Office explains We wait in vain for the main- Riaz Quadir in Versailles who could design the Nuremburg that the city administration decided to permit the Roma stream western media to call a trials. Today, in The Hague there is group to stay after carefully evaluating the security situation spade a spade and take the coalition forces that unlaw- the ICC taking the Serbs and the Croats to task for and police officers will monitor the camp, daily. fully invaded Iraq, to task. So far we have merely seen their crimes against humanity. There are enough inter- On 24 April the Saechsische Zeitung reported that a group disbelief and shock. We have heard of damage control, national laws under which this band of War Criminals of drunken youngsters attacked a Roma group who had set apologies, resignations, reprimands, court-martials and can be tried but who will bring Donald Rumsfeld, Paul up their camp in Grossroehrsdorf, cutting their electricity, fake photographs. European sensibility is swayed by Wolfowitz, Geoff Hoon and the rest of the gang to and that the Roma left. their own national interest and economic well-being trial? Who will charge Tony Blair and George Bush? On 29 April, the mayor is quoted as saying that the Roma and by the fact that the victims in this case, Iraqi Arab None, except the European and the American people. left without paying the guarantee requested by the munici- Muslims have been dehumanized through a long his- We have a beginning. Fifty two former diplomats in pality or the electricity bill. However, he expressed confi- torical process that started after the Battle of Poitiers the UK followed by 50 former diplomats in the US have dence of recovering the money. was won by Charles Martel in 732 A.D. In Europe asked their respective governments to explain their According to a city counsellor the youngsters were worried memory is long and rooted. The prospect of a Muslim role in the Iraq War and the Palestinian issue. Even the that the Roma might endanger their "witch fires", fears invasion was such that centuries later the historian Economist is asking for the resignation of Rumsfeld. which the mayor refuted as baseless. A social democrat Edward Gibbon wrote a famous passage about One can only hope that this trickle will become a flood explained that the youngsters were mere blockheads who minarets rather than spires in Oxford had the Muslims and that lurking somewhere, there still is a spark of could not bear the presence of caravans of French "gypsies". won. There is no identification with the victims as humanism left in Europe and the US. Note that none Roma, potential disorder and waste. This is the line of rea- there would be, say, with white Australians, New of the great religions were born in Europe. Spirituality, soning the Sächsische Zeitung constructed. In comparison, the Zealanders or Zimbabweans were they in situations a foreign concept, was imported. Materialism has once inept and biased reporters make the young "blockheads" look, similar to the Iraqis or the Palestinians. again driven it away. Europe talks of 'humanism.' Let's in fact, pretty good. In the end, the Roma had to go and not to "The techniques devised in the system, called R2I - hope this moral concept is not limited to the borders of India, a place they left over 1200 years ago and surely not by car! resistance to interrogation - match the crude exploita- the new European Union but will be applied to all of www.erionet.org tion and abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib jail in humanity. It’s mahjong at Three Gorges Mu Lan are being relocated. "The factories being lost to the reser- Liao used to work at a fertilizer plant in Wuzhou. Now Beijing voir are like our family property, accumulated over the he idles on the banks of the Yangtze. past 50 years, and they represent a big sacrifice by "I'm just killing time here fishing because of the terri- HE “dearth of industry” has become a burning topic of Zhongxian's 970,000 people on behalf of the Three ble situation at my factory. The government's water pol- conversation all along the Three Gorges dam's 660 km Gorges project," said Zhongxian county governor Du lution rules are so tough that almost all the big factories Tstretch from Yichang in Hubei Province to Xianfeng in Heping. in Wuzhou have been shut down. The water seems clear- Chongqing municipality. With so many factories closed, tax revenues have er now, but so many people are out of work as a result," At first glance all seems well. The dam's reservoir has slumped from an annual average of $3.6 million to $1.2 he says. filled to 139 metres, its turbines are humming smoothly. million. Zhonxian has a population of 100,000. More A government worker expressed concern about the Money poured for resettlement has boosted infrastruc- than 10,000 are unemployed said Du. economic and social problems in the reservoir area ture. New houses, roads and bridges crisscross. But facto- A nationwide campaign to attract industry to the Three because of factory closures. "What can the jobless do? Sell ries and assembly lines are missing. Gorges area has met a lukewarm response. Apart from trinkets on the street? Kill time playing mahjong?" he "With the filling of the reservoir and resettlement of the Hangzhou based Wahaha Group, which set up a suc- asked. local residents, the number of factories has declined cessful soft-drinks plant in the reservoir area, few com- A senior analyst based in Chongqing said, "The govern- from 243 to 35 in Fengjie county alone. The 'dearth of panies have been tempted to move in. One county that ments in the reservoir area attached more importance to industry' has become more apparent and more serious," had hoped to attract a porcelain manufacturing enter- constructing beautiful buildings than to laying a solid said Fengjie party boss Liu Benrong. prise saw the plan fall flat because of a local shortage of foundation for the development of core industries. With most factories closed in Fengjie, annual industri- pottery clay and of management and technical personnel. "At the start of the Three Gorges project, policy-makers al output has dropped from $33 million in the late 1990s "It's hard to get big or successful companies from other proposed moving the affected people out, resettling to $18 million last year. Job losses have also been sub- places to invest in the reservoir region because of a weak them properly, and helping them to get rich gradually, stantial. In the late 1990s, Fengjie's 243 factories industrial base and poor transport," says Du. "In addition which was definitely a good plan. But unfortunately, actu- employed 20,000 people. Now only 8,000 residents have to those constraints, the biggest challenge for Zhongxian al practice does not appear to have gone in that direc- jobs at the relocated enterprises, Liu said. is a severe shortage of management and technical expert- tion," he said. Fengjie is not an isolated case. About 220 kms ise. It's no wonder that many good companies are reluc- upstream in Zhonxian county only 27 out of 101 factories tant to come here." www.threegorgesprobe.org 16 CIVIL SOCIETY June 2004

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Have an idea? Perhaps a lost cause? Tell your story or just express an opinion on paper PERSPECTIVES in these pages. A new era begins in India RAM GIDOOMAL

HAT a different world it was just a short time ago! I had from areas of high tension in the subcontinent work side by side. On neutral ground, no idea, when I accepted the editor's invitation to write with common tasks to do, they arrive at a measure of understanding that can be Wa regular column, that I would be writing the first one remarkable. as the story of the BJP's change of fortunes developed so The process can happen by design, too. In 2003 in London we had a successful dramatically and unexpectedly. Indeed, just the evening conference involving representatives of the stakeholder communities in the Gujarat before Mr Vajpayee's resignation, Sky Television rang me conflict. At that conference and indeed in similar gatherings in the UK and in other parts requesting an interview the next morning to discuss the of the Diaspora, three priorities were identified. consequences of the expected hung election. Later the same To identify cases where civil and human rights are threatened by community conflict, evening they rang to say that they had decided to run with and consider how local conflict resolution could be extended through India. quite a different breaking story, and were cancelling the India To analyse the causes of conflict and human rights abuse, and how to protect and interviews. But next morning Sky SAAB Pictures institutionalise the rights of every citizen. Through was announcing that after early To seek ways to bring truth and reconciliation, and to work results Mr Vajpayee was resigning for justice and peace in divided communities both in India at that very moment. An era had and the Diaspora. come to an end, and like many It was a Diaspora initiative, bringing together Hindus, NR Eyes others Sky had been taken Muslims and Christians. The 'jaw-jaw instead of war-war' completely by surprise. Not approach works best well away from the arena of conflict. surprisingly, Western observers, for language reasons, take After that London conference came a conference in New their cue from Indian observers, who are usually city-based Delhi earlier this year organised by the India Development and upper-caste and know very little of the feelings of the Trust, which was held in association with a similar lower castes. conference organised by Promise of India. I attended both So we have the Congress Party gaining a clear lead over Mr and spoke at the IDT conference on 'Diaspora Civil Society Vajpayee's alliance, and India will not ever be quite the same Partnerships in the Social Sector'. Also as a result of the again. London Conference, members of the Diaspora community DIVISIONS: In a way, this election was typical of India as it were invited by Indian residents present to visit India and looks to the Diaspora community, and indeed to many in the see situations for themselves. subcontinent. Mr Vajpayee made a calculated gamble, calling It was a painful conference in many ways: many angry the election early, in the expectation that the considerable words were said. But the results, in the UK and in India, have growth and prosperity India has been enjoying would been far-reaching. The contribution of NRIs in the economic guarantee him a comfortable victory. He was defeated by the area is well documented. The value of successful Diaspora votes of the poorer Indians, to whom the benefits of an individuals and communities, with large disposable income increased GNP had not trickled down. The result and business muscle, in creating a platform to speak abroad demonstrated deep divisions in Indian society, divisions that on India's behalf is also indisputable. But the role of NRIs as in recent years have been evident in such tragic events as the facilitators of reconciliation is less well known, and ought to Gujarat atrocities. be better known. Many of us in the Diaspora left India decades ago, and SOLIDARITY: India is entering a new phase of her modern many more of Indian descent - such as my own East Africa history. Watching from afar, my hope is that the Diaspora South Asian community - have never lived in India. But we community will contribute in whatever ways we can. For have family memories of past divisions and sorrows, like the example, the risk to the economy is still great. The Diaspora bitter separation that made my own family refugees from Sind in 1947. must call for stability in economic policies. Yet we cherish a dream in our hearts: Gandhi's great vision of a secular society, a But my hope is that India and the Diaspora will move forward together to what Ram swaraj that will bring India's people-groups, faiths, communities and castes to live Narayan Kumar has called 'A wider solidarity … to jointly work for the realisation of alongside each other in a peaceable, mutually respecting way. And in recent years many India's original vision of Swaraj.' There is a major role for the Diaspora both in being part of us have grieved to see how far from that vision our Bharatmata has departed, as of that solidarity and also in bringing it into existence. For example, it can be a voice religious persecution and ethnic hatred have become commonplace in many parts of calling for commitment by the new government to redress human and civil rights abuses India. under previous regimes. That could include calling for a Truth and Reconciliation in The last government acknowledged the role that NRIs have in Indian affairs by Gujarat - something to which people from South Africa could contribute their declaring 9 January NRI day and initiating the Bharatiya Pravasi Divas. Hopefully that experience: a south-to-south Diaspora diplomacy! trend will continue and go on to celebrate the pluralism that is at the heart of the Indian Whatever the immediate future, and whatever the consequences of current experiment. negotiations in the corridors of power, I am sure there is a major role for the Diaspora as HEALING: But we cannot celebrate if we do not also heal our wounds. And in that task we move to a new era in India's long history. NRIs can and do play an important role. Simply being a Diaspora community can be a (Ram Gidoomal is a business of Indian origin settled in Britain. He belongs to the Christian People’s Alliance healing opportunity: I know of many situations in Britain where Indians and Pakistanis and is a candidate for the post of Mayor of London. E-mail: [email protected]) 18 CIVIL SOCIETY PERSPECTIVES June 2004 The system sponsors corruption ARIVIND KEJRIWAL

Naspirant for a licence for running a Kerosene Oil Depot overboard in your demands. They get such low commissions. They are forced to do all has to appear before a panel of senior officials of the Food this. But I agree that everything should be done within limits." We were aghast to have ADepartment for an interview. One friendly kerosene to hear this argument. And do you know who has the powers to raise the commission dealer told us that he was asked in his interview how he of these dealers? It is the food commissioner himself. But still he would not do that. would run his shop with very low commissions given by the The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has prescribed rates for each type of work government. The kerosene dealer replied, "Jaise sab chalate it undertakes. These rates were set in 1997. Now, bids submitted to the MCD have to state hain, waise hi main bhi chala loonga (I will also run it just like how much below or above the prescribed rate they are. Using the Delhi Right to everyone else )." And he got the licence. Information Act, Parivartan sought copies of contracts of all the civil works done by MCD Corruption in our country is not only an outcome of degen- in two resettlement colonies in East Delhi during the period 2000-2002. When we took a eration of moral values. Often, it is the result of the existence look at these contracts, we were surprised to learn that in most of the cases, the contrac- of such systems, within which one cannot operate honestly tors had bid to carry out works at rates much lower than 1997 rates. This was simply and is forced to indulge in corrupt practices. The whole world impossible. If we took inflation into account, logically, a contractor should have bid for at The right knows that there are systemic faults, which are forcing the least 20% above the scheduled rates. But it is impossible to imagine how a contractor players to indulge in large-scale corruption. Those in power would work at rates 40% below 1997 rates. An assistant engineer told us that in such cases also know where exactly the prob- the contractor and the concerned engineers know that no work to know lem lies. Yet, no action is taken to would actually be carried out and the money would be shared rectify the anomalies. A kerosene oil depot among them. The Public Distribution System is a classic case of large-scale Parivartan verified all these contracts and found that in 68 defalcation of food supplies taking place with everyone's owner gets seven contracts worth Rs 1.3 crores, work worth Rs 70 lakhs had not knowledge. A kerosene oil depot (KOD) owner gets a commis- been done though payments had been made. A detailed report sion of seven paise per litre of kerosene sold. The average quota was presented to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, MCD of a KOD is about 10,000 litres per month. Hence, if a KOD paise per litre of Commissioner and Delhi Police to investigate and book the cul- owner works honestly, he would get Rs 700 as commission prits. When confronted by a journalist after a few months as to every month! Out of this amount, he has to pay rent, salaries, kerosene sold. The what action he had taken on that report, the MCD electricity, phone etc. He cannot make a profit if he works hon- Commissioner said, "Parivartan is not aware of the ground real- estly. But the commodity he is dealing in generates huge profits average quota is 10,000 ities. They should understand the problems of the contractors. for him if he diverts it to the black market. A KOD owner is The contractors have to under bid so much to get any work that required to sell kerosene at Rs 9 per litre compared to the mar- litres per month. Hence it is almost impossible for them to do a proper work at those ket price of Rs 18 per litre. Thus, he has huge incentive to divert rates." Such a statement on camera by the Commissioner was supplies. shocking. If the MCD Commissioner cannot take steps to recti- Not that the authorities are not aware of these anomalies. if a kerosene depot fy this position then who will? Parivartan met an erstwhile food commissioner with a com- Both the officers mentioned above are known for their plaint of black marketing against a kerosene dealer. We wanted owner works honestly, he integrity. Yet, just look at their willingness to justify a bad sys- his licence to be cancelled because this dealer would not give tem. Is it because every bureaucrat inherently becomes a status- any kerosene to holders of ration cards and would siphon off would get only Rs 700 as quoist? almost the entire stock. But the sympathies of the food com- (Arvind Kejriwal is an officer of the Indian Revenue Service. He is on long missioner were with the kerosene dealer. "You should not go commission every month! leave from his job and runs an NGO called Parivartan.) No one bothered about agriculture SUMAN SAHAI

ENE Campaign conducted a small spot poll in the four states of Assam, Rajasthan, Jaipur in Rajasthan and Aonla and Shahjahanpur in UP. The candidates were asked two Jharkhand and UP, to see the candidates' perception of the main problems of their basic questions: What are the most important problems of your constituency and what Gareas and whether agricultural development featured anywhere on the priorities of would you address first were you to be elected? the major political parties. A total of 35 candidates from the main political parties in 12 The poll questioned 50 voters each in three to four assembly segments per parliamen- parliamentary constituencies were questioned. These included Jorhat and Koliabor in tary constituency. The voters in the largely rural constituencies were similarly asked Assam; Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Khunti in Jharkhand; Tonk, Sikar, Bhilwara, Alwar and what their most important problems were and what is the first thing they wanted their elected representative to do for them. The two graphs below show the mismatch between what the voters list as their chief problems and what the candidates would like to do in in % their constituencies, or at least what they profess they will do. 80 CANDIDATES’ ISSUES As the graph shows, agricultural development did not appear to be the principal con- 60 cern of most candidates even though they were contesting from largely rural constituen- 40 cies. Just two candidates of those surveyed, Amra Ram, the CPM candidate from Sikar, 20 Rajasthan and Drupad Borgohain, the CPI candidate from Jorhat, Assam said that one of their main priorities is agriculture. Most candidates wanted to provide roads and elec- 0 Roads & Health & Law & Tourism Agricultural tricity. Many wanted to promote tourism. Other responses by candidates included control Electricity Education Order Development of erosion (Assam) good administration, employment and 'beautification' . Many sitting MPs who were contesting the election claimed they had done everything that needed to in % be done and there were no problems in their constituencies. This was unsurprisingly, not 80 VOTERS’ ISSUES echoed by the voters of their constituency. 60 Rural voters overwhelmingly listed agriculture development, as their major need. This category included factors like good quality seed, protection from spurious pesticides, agri- 40 cultural machines and tools like threshers, markets to sell agricultural produce, better 20 price for their produce, assured irrigation, training and extension facilities, treatment and 0 recovery of wasteland. Drinking water was next, followed by issues in health and educa- Agricultural Drinking Health & Roads & tion. Of the main needs expressed, roads and electricity were last. Development Water Education Electricity (Suman Sahai is president of Gene Campaign, New Delhi. Email - [email protected]) June 2004 PERSPECTIVES CIVIL SOCIETY 19 Schools should not be businesses ASHOK AGARWAL

HE Supreme Court judgment of April 27 in the and unorganised parents of Delhi. They gathered in Modern School case has far reaching implications The parents gathered in front of large numbers in front of school gates, submitted Tfor school education, not only in Delhi but for representations to the schools and to the govern- schools all over the country. The Supreme Court was school gates, submitted ment, held meetings and demonstrations. The situa- primarily dealing with a case of rampant tion they were caught in, brought them together commercialisation of education and the exploitation under the common banner of the 'Delhi Abibhavak of hapless parents by unaided recognised private representations, held meetings Mahasangh'. This new formation resolved to fight schools in Delhi through fee hikes every year. against the exploitation of parents. The Supreme Court also looked at how unaided and demonstrations. The situation Because of their agitation, the Delhi Government recognised private schools were violating the terms in May 1997 ordered inspection of the accounts of 16 of public land allotment. In particular, the court they were caught in, brought them private schools. These revealed that the schools were examined the condition of providing admission to indulging in commercialisation of education but the 25% of children from weaker sections and granting together under the ‘Delhi government did not take any action and left the hap- them free education. This judgment is seen as a rev- less parents at the mercy of the schools' greedy man- olutionary step towards making education in private agements. Failing to get justice, the parents decided schools affordable for the common man and encour- Abibhavak Mahasangh’. They to raise the issue before the Delhi High Court aging integration of children belonging to weaker through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The PIL by sections in the elite schools. resolved to fight against the Delhi Abibhavak Mahasangh came up for hearing for It may be useful to know the background to this the first time on 8 September,1997 before a Division historic judgment. There are around 1500 unaided exploitation of parents. Bench of the High Court. The learned judges of the recognized private schools in Delhi that impart edu- High Court issued notices to the Govt. of India, Govt. cation, from lower kindergarten to Class12, to around one million children or one-third of Delhi, CBSE, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and 32 unaided recognized pri- of school children in Delhi. The majority belong to middle class and lower middle class vate schools, named in the petition. families. After the High Court issued notices to the respondents, the Delhi government A small percentage belong to poor homes. A major reason for sending children to these promptly passed an order on 10 September,1997, fixing the maximum limit of the reg- schools is that the standard of education in government schools is so poor that even a istration fee, admission fee and caution money schools could charge. The Delhi govern- poor parent does not wish to send his child to it. All government schools are not bad, ment also directed the schools to utilise their accumulated reserves to meet the increase though. in salaries and if the money was found insufficient, the fees could be increased to the The private schools had been increasing fees and other charges every year, but in April extent required after consultation with the representatives of parent teacher associa- 1997, these schools increased their fees between 40% and 400% on the pretext of paying tions. The schools perceived this government order as a threat to their monopoly to loot higher salaries to their staff in anticipation of the Fifth Pay Commission's recommen- the parents, and approached the High Court seeking quashing of the order. The High dations. Court heard the PIL of the parents and the petitions of the schools together and finally This sudden, arbitrary and exorbitant fee hike caused great distress to the hapless (Continued on page 20)

NATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE RIGHT TO FOOD AND WORK

10th National Media Fellowships A national convention on the right to food and work will be held on 11-13 June 2004, tentatively in Bhopal. Organisations committed to the right to food and work Programme, 2004-2005 are expected to join from all over the country. The main purpose of this convention is to share experiences of grassroots action for the right to food/work, and to plan future activities. This is also an opportunity to address the organisational issues "Giving Voice to the Unheard" that arise in building coordinated action for the right to food and work.

This will be an action-oriented event, with plenty of discussion groups, training For Print and Photo Journalists workshops, cultural activities, and more. Potential issues for discussion include guaranteed employment, the public distribution system, mid-day meals, land The National Foundation for India has a programme for young (upto 40 rights, and judicial action for the right to food and work, among others. years), mid-career (5-7 years experience) and sensitive journalists, to research and publish articles / photo essays on issues of importance to This convention is a follow-up of earlier discussions held at the World Social Forum ordinary Indians, their battle for a better life and to cover diverse aspects in Mumbai (January 2004). It is facilitated by the support group of the "right to food of development work viz., the working conditions of people, environment campaign", in collaboration with several country-wide networks such as the related matters and other social concerns. National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), All India Democratic Women's Association The foundation offers eight fellowships of Rs. 1,00,000/- each. Women (AIDWA), National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), Human Rights Law Network journalists from small newspapers with demonstrated capacity to (HRLN), National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR), National Campaign publish well-researched articles/photo essays are encouraged to apply. Committee for Rural Workers (NCCRW) and People's Union for Civil Liberties One of the fellowships will be awarded to a photojournalist. (PUCL).

The last date for receipt of application is August 12, 2004. The convention is being organised on a shoestring budget. All participants are expected to bear their own travel costs, and may be asked to contribute to For more information contact: subsistence costs, if necessary. Other costs will be met through voluntary Program Assistant, National Media Fellowships donations with no strings attached. NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR INDIA Core 4A, UGF, India Habitat Centre If you are keen to participate, please send a line to [email protected] or get in Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003 touch with any member of the "coordination team". Contact details for the Phones: 91-11-24641864/65, 91-11-24648490-92 coordination team, and the confirmed venue of the convention, will be circulated Fax: 91-11-24641867 soon and also posted on the website of the right to food campaign Email: [email protected], [email protected] (www.righttofood.com) www.nfi.org.in 20 CIVIL SOCIETY PERSPECTIVES June 2004

SAAB Pictures accounts of private recognized unaided schools audited from time to time. The schools/societies can take voluntary donations not connected with the admission of the ward. On the peculiar facts of these petitions there is no per se illegality in issue of the impugned circular dated 10 September1997. An independent statutory Committee, by amendment of law, if necessary, deserves to be constituted to go into the factual matter and adjudicate disputes which may arise in future in the matter of fixation of tuition fee and other charges. The Government should consider extend- ing the Act and Rules with or without modi- fication to all schools from nursery onward. The High Court by the same judgment also appointed a committee with Justice Santosh Duggal as chairperson to decide whether the increase of tuition fees and other charges during the period covered by the order dated 10 September,1997 up to the beginning of the academic session in 1999 by each individual school was justified or not. The schools appealed to the Supreme Court against this judgment of the High Court. The Supreme Court has now rejected the appeal of the schools and upheld the judgment of A computer class in progress at Modern School, one of New Delhi’s elite institutions the High Court. It may be noted that the Delhi government pursuant to the judgment delivered a landmark judgment on 31October,1998. The High Court accepted the plea of of the High Court constituted the Justice Duggal Committee on 7 December 1998. The the parents and rejected the arguments of the schools. Justice Duggal Committee could not complete the task given to it by the High Court due to lack of cooperation by the government and the schools. Had the committee complet- The High Court in the judgment concluded: ed its task, the parents would have got their refund which is estimated to be Rs.800 It is the obligation of the Administrator and/ or Director of Education to prevent com- crores from the schools. mercialisation and exploitation in private unaided schools including schools run by However, the committee submitted its report on 31 July, 1999 to the government and minorities. made many factual observations on the devices being used by the schools to exploit the par- The tuition fees and other charges are required to be fixed in a validly constituted ents and made various recommendations. Interestingly, the committee observed that out of meeting giving an opportunity to the representatives of Parent Teacher Associations and 142 schools examined, there were only two schools that were justified in hiking their fees. Nominee of the Director of Education to place their view points. The government, following the recommendations of the committee, issued order dated 15.12.1999 prescribing among other things, the manner of calculating tuition fees and other charges under specified The most significant aspect of the Supreme Court judgment is that heads only. The schools also raised serious objections to this order before the Supreme it has finally set to rest the controversy whether the government Court and sought freedom to charge any amount without any limit from the parents has the authority to regulate the fees and other charges of unaided in the name of quality education and expansion of education. The Supreme Court rejected this plea of the schools. recognised private schools to prevent commercialisation of The most significant aspect of the Supreme Court judgment is that it has education. The Supreme Court has categorically held that the finally set to rest the controversy whether the government has the authority to regu- government has the authority to regulate the fees of unaided late the fees and other charges of unaided recognised private schools to prevent com- schools. The Supreme Court has gone even further. The court has mercialisation of education. The Supreme Court has categorically held that the gov- ernment has the authority to regulate the directed the Director of Education to ensure that the schools to fees of unaided schools. The Supreme Court has gone even fur- whom public land has been allotted at throwaway prices must ther. The court has directed the Director of Education to ensure that the schools to comply with the terms of land allotment and ensure admission to whom public land has been allotted at throwaway prices must comply with the terms of land allotment. The two signifi- students belonging to weaker sections. cant conditions pointed out by the Supreme Court are that the school shall not No permission from the Director of Education is necessary before or after fixing increase the rates of tuition fee without the prior sanction of the Directorate of tuition fee. In case, however, such fixing is found to be irrational and arbitrary, there are Education and that the school shall ensure admission to students belonging to weaker ample powers under the Act and Rules to issue directions to schools to rectify it before sections to the extent of 25% and grant freeship to them. resorting to harsh measures. The question of commercialisation of education and It is to be seen what action the government will take against the erring schools to exploitation of parents by the individual school can be authoritatively determined on ensure that they roll back the fees and other charges to a just and reasonable level. The thorough examination of accounts and other records of each school. government must revive the Justice Duggal Committee by appointing another retired The Act and the Rules prohibit transfer of funds from the schools to the society or judge of the High Court as its chairperson to complete the task entrusted to it by the from one school to another. High Court since the exploited parents are eagerly awaiting their refund. The tuition fee cannot be fixed to recover capital expenditure to be incurred on the It is estimated that if the Supreme Court judgment is implemented, the present fee properties of the society. level will come down by 60%. It is also estimated that since 1997-98 till this year, the The inspections of the schools, audit of the accounts and compliance of the provisions schools have unjustly charged an excess amount of nearly Rs.3000 crores from the hap- of the Act and the Rules by private recognized unaided schools could have prevented the less parents of Delhi. The parents are entitled to get this money back immediately. The present state of affairs. ball is now in the government's court. The authorities/ Director of Education have failed in their obligation to get the (The author represented the parents before the High Court and the Supreme Court) 22 CIVIL SOCIETY CAMPUS June 2004 La Marts girls win Slater at BCS this year

Rajroop Bhaduri Shimla

IXTEEN teams from various schools flung razor sharp arguments back and forth at the annual SDr. Samuel Slater Memorial Inter-School Invitational Debate, held at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla from 29 April to 1 May. The teams were armed with intelligence and wit. Finally, La Martiniere School for Girls, walked away with the coveted trophy. Every year as the winter chill wanes, Bishop Cotton prepares for its annual Slater Memorial debates. This event started in 1995, when the headmaster, Kabir Mustafi, felt it would be a good idea to host an inter-school debate so that students could exchange views and ideas in a friendly yet competitive way. He thought it best that students learn to talk rather than fight. Staff and students agreed and it was decided to name the debates in memory of the first headmaster of Bishop Cotton, Reverend Samuel Slater. The Slater attracts interesting people from across the country who invest their time in judging the The Slater teams. The Slater Memorial is easily the most important debate for schools in the country debates and making them a success. They also interact with the students. This year Jug Suraiya, the judiciary, the average Indian is caught between the devil closely fought competition. As the finalists prepared popular columnist and creator of the Dubyaman comic and the deep sea' for the second semi-final. For the final frenetically, the rest of the debaters and the judges were strip in The Times of India was the chief guest. Mr debate, the topic was, 'Imagination is more important treated to lunch in town. Suraiya held a workshop on creative writing and integrity than information for human progress.' The final debate was a tough fight. In the end La in journalism. The next day, 24 debates were held. Each team had Martiniere for Girls from Kolkata bagged the Slater In nine years this annual event has grown in three debates to contend with. So the day was rather trophy. Yasha Sharma from Welham Girls' School got the popularity and respect. "It's the toughest and the most hectic for all the teams and the organisers. The teams most promising speaker award. important debate in the debating calendar," said the team showed strength of character, seriousness of thought and The team of Cathedral and John Connon School got the from Welham Girls' School, Dehradun. But the jousting revealed a wealth of knowledge. courage in the face of adversity award and Chitra and banter between the teams proves that the Chatterjee from La Martiniere For Girls was declared interaction is equally important. Friendships are forged, the best speaker of the debate. too. SCHOOL DIARY After pleasantries and good wishes were exchanged " Slater is not just about debating. The level of Sushila Prabhudas, one of our teachers at BCS was very and all the work was over, it was time to enjoy! A jam interaction sustains all the way long after school, " said impressed. "They spoke astoundingly well and gave their session was organised after supper. All the teams shed Mrs. Dutta of La Martiniere Boys, Kolkata. subjects a great deal of thought, care and research. They aside their worries to groove to the music. As soon as the teams arrived, tea was served. had sharp analytical minds which immediately picked up "Slater really rocks," remarked someone from the Sri Everybody was in high spirits and felt refreshed after a flaws in the arguments of their opponents and tackled Ram School team, Gurgaon. convivial gathering with baked short bread from the them with nerve," she said. Every competition has winners and losers. This one school's bakery. During tea, basic instructions were given Four teams made it to the semi-finals. These were BCS- too had its share of casualties. What was most surprising out and the draws were held for the debates. The teams, The Headmaster's Team, La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata, was that all the teams, the conquered and the after receiving their topics, promptly got down to work. La Martiniere for Boys, Kolkata and Welham Girls'School, vanquished had enormous smiles and were cheerful and There were 31 topics in all which included 'All Dehradun. friendly. evolution in music has been reactionary' for the first Both the La Martiniere teams from Kolkata emerged as As our headmaster says, "Win with humility and lose semi-final and 'Between our bureaucracy and the toppers beating BCS and Welhams Girls' School in a very with dignity." (Rajroop Bahaduri is a student of Class 12 at Bishop Convent School.) PEACEWORKS What do you want to do in life?

Civil Society News Formed in 1973, the group has to its credit about 60 situations, at first glance, look simple. Yet, as students Kolkata original street plays, with about 8,000 performances. probed deeper and deeper, they were able to discover Janam's street plays have been widely translated into many layers and different viewpoints. EACEWORKS recently hosted the Jana Natya virtually every major language of the country and some The story of the play had three episodes, each Manch (Janam) who presented their play Bolo Kya plays, like Aurat, Machine and Halla Bol have been followed by a discussion with the audience. The PBanoge Tum for schoolchildren in Kolkata. About performed in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Hong Kong, discussions were conducted by Moloyashree Hashmi 15 to 17 members of Janam performed for students of Canada and other nations. and after her initial set of questions, the interactive 16 different schools. The group survives on voluntary work and financial talks invariably took a new route every time, The presentation at Future Hope, a boarding school support from its audiences. The group does not accept depending on the issues that the children took up and for homeless boys, was an eye-opener. The responses corporate, governmental, or non-governmental grants their responses. The length of the discussions was of these boys were really sensitive and thought- or sponsorships. variable, but each tended to be about 15 provoking. Indeed they were the only audience who Moloyashree Hashmi, Sudhanwa Deshpande, Uttam to 20 minutes. felt the play was unfinished and were eager to know Haldar, Brijender Singh Rupak Chauhan and Sandeep The children were engrossed by the riveting what happened next. Khurana, came to Kolkata for the PeaceWorks performance and participated spontaneously in the Janam has asked the boys to write a sequel to the programme. discussions. It was interesting to note the way they play which could be performed at a later date along Bolo Kya Banoge Tum is the story of a king and a were able to link the fable to everyday life. The with the original Bolo Kya Banoge Tum. slave. The king is the oppressor, the slave is the responses of the younger students were particularly Janam is India's premier street theatre group. oppressed. The characters are stereotypical, and the interesting and candid. 24 CIVIL SOCIETY OFFTRACK June 2004 SAY HELLO TO SHUJAAT GRAMMY KHAN The Rain is really brilliant, but you cannot find it in India

Neelkantha Gupta sat at my laptop and ordered it from Amazon.com. MUSIC THAT MATTERS Within a few weeks, 'The Rain' was playing T'S curious how, sometimes, something continuously at home. It was the best birthday gift I intrinsically Indian is difficult to come by in India, had ever got… Igiving credence to the notion that we Indians 'The Rain' consists of three very attractive pieces: recognise a home-grown product only after it's been Fire, Dawn, and Eternity. Shujaat Khan and Kayhan given the nod by the West. Thanks to Lord Curzon, Kalhor have sought out the common ground of their we learnt about the existence of the Taj Mahal. Had respective traditional repertoires and built their it not been for Cannes 1954, Satyajit Ray's Pather compositions around it. The commonality between Panchali would have languished in a mouldy corner the two forms is not unexpected given that much of of the West Bengal Government archives. Good the source of Hindustani classical music was Persia. thing Beatle George Harrison decided to study the Fire uses notes of the Asavari thaat of Hindustani sitar - it took away the embarrassment from liking classical music. To this thaat (parent scale) belong Indian classical music. So many feats of Indian great ragas like Darbari Kanada. Adana, and civilisation owe their acceptance at home to the Jaunpuri. The Persian answer to our Asavari thaat eclectic West. seems to be Nava. Dawn is based on Raga Kirwani, The latest in this tradition is a remarkable album originally belonging to Carnatic music, but now of music called 'The Rain', featuring delectable equally popular in Hindustani classical music. The pieces played by Ghazal, an Indian-Iranian Persian mode Isfahan, much to one's pleasant ensemble of three musicians: Kayhan Kalhor, surprise, corresponds to Kirwani. Finally, Eternity is Shujaat Hussain Khan, and Sandeep Das, on the woven out of the very lyrical Raga Khammaj, whose kamancheh (an Iranian bowed spike fiddle), sitar Persian equivalent is Mahur. and tabla respectively. People became aware of this Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, the sarod maestro, once album in India, I suspect, not because of the said that when he wanted to listen to sitar music, he exquisite music, but because it got a Grammy always listened to Vilayat Khan. Now that our nomination for the "Best Traditional World Music greatest sitar player is no longer with us, we have to Album" - America's stamp of approval for good turn to his son and legatee of the Imdad Khan business done in the music world. gharana to experience sitar music at its best. 'The What made this album very special for me was Rain' bears ample testimony to this. Shujaat's Shujaat Khan - a person whom, and whose extended technical mastery of the sitar is of the highest order, family, I have blindly, avowedly and unabashedly the tone and melody is soul-stirring, and the sound admired since my childhood. I heard Shujaat for the of his sitar, a source of wonder. His amazing ability first time in 1969, when he was eight years old. His to emulate the human singing voice on the sitar, the late father, the legendary Vilayat Khan had just gayaki ang, Vilayat Khan's gift to sitar music, is concluded a memorable recital of Raga Mand Bhairav, Shujaat, diminutive behind the great sitar. Size and age nothing but pure magic. Kayhan Kalhor's mastery over accompanied on the tabla by the famous Samta Prasad, as notwithstanding, Shujaat's fingers glided and flew over his instrument is no less impressive. Listening to the two the last performer of a night-long music festival in Indira the fret board of this difficult instrument, producing of them improvising on scales common to their Cinema in Bhowanipore, Calcutta. The audience wanted music that only a seventh generation member of an traditions reinforces one's belief in the universality of Ustadji to play Bhairavi, and he obliged, playing it in his unbroken family line of immensely talented musicians music. The Indian and Persian styles certainly seem to inimitable way. All this while, as is a common practice in could produce. The audience exploded, ecstatic and have more similarities than differences. an Indian classical music concert, Shujaat sat beside his rapturous. This is the impact the music of an eight- year- Being a world-famous person's son, Shujaat had two father on the dais with his uncle, the illustrious Imrat old boy had on a knowledgeable and exacting audience, options ahead of him: either to conform to the dictates of Khan and his sons, Nishat and Irshad. and on me, a mere boy myself. Shujaat Khan's music still the great man and live in his shadow, or to strike out on After Vilayat Khan had put his sitar down and was has the same effect on me… his own, discover his real self and create his own musical getting up to take the final bow, the audience started 'The Rain' has sold more than a million copies in the style, and become an extraordinary musician in his own clamouring in Bengali, "Amra Shujaat ke shunte chai; West - the sole criterion for a Grammy nomination. right. Shujaat opted for the latter, although not before Shujaat ke bajate hobe!" (We want to listen to Shujaat; Earlier this year, I went from music store to music store mastering everything that his father had to teach him. He Shujaat must play for us!) Vilayat had an incredibly close in Delhi, Calcutta, Madras and Bangalore, looking for the absorbed and internalized his formidable musical and informal relationship with the Calcutta audience, and album. Not unsurprisingly, I couldn't find it anywhere. inheritance, combined it with vast talent, and emerged he simply had to give in to their demand. The awesome, Either it had sold out and stores hadn't bothered to with a quality, standard and style so far unknown among chocolate brown, shining instrument was handed over to replenish their stocks, or it hadn't occurred to them to the children of the giants of the Indian classical music brother Imrat, who tuned it to Raga Yaman and gave it to acquire it. Seeing my disappointment, my wife secretly world. Clean up, siesta time is over in Goa

Colin Fernandes change. permitted only in pre-specified beaches. Panjim The pristine Arossim beach in RUCKSACK Additionally, a local NGO with funding Cansaulim, south Goa is an example…the from the UK helps bring in and neuter HEN you go to Goa, what do you resorts on the beach have to pick up after and routinely sends its housekeeping stray animals especially cats and dogs. usually do? Hang out at the beach, day picnickers. Although they don't staff out armed with brooms and pans to They also go around on 'snake and Wcatch some rays, maybe do a little expect you to join in, they do advocate a pick up cigarette butts and empty beer monkey alerts' rounding up these gambling and then get drunk. healthy respect for their own strip of bottles. Clarence Farrel, general manager animals and then releasing them into This time around, why don't you try beach. Lend them a helping hand. says the beach is their biggest attraction. the wild. visiting a spice plantation or a toddy This beach is one of the cleanest "If we allow that to get messed up, we're Last we heard they were in desperate tapper's distillery (in his kitchen) or get around. Select hotels, like the Heritage not really doing good business." need of an additional ambulance. Most involved in a clean beach campaign? Village Club, one of the better three star The government is pitching in. resorts will have a small pamphlet about The last three decades have seen joints, make sure to impress on each Construction within 500 metres of the them, encouraging you to donate either rampant commercialisation of practically guest exactly how important the beach is. tide line is banned throughout Goa. time or money. every tourist hotspot in this resort state Although a public beach, the resort takes Existing structures may remain, but no So don't just hang around. Get and the government is looking to make a responsibility for the stretch they are on more will be allowed; shacks are involved. June 2004 REVIEW CIVIL SOCIETY 25

MEMORIES A young It's fiction, it's history Karwan in search of RITA ANAND peace Romtha with nothing to sell except themselves, the evil Gopal, chief of the Mahasweta Devi guards, vested with informal authority to kill, the lovely courtesan NEHA KOHLI Seagull books trapped by a job she never chose, form a tapestry of real life people. IN April around 30 school Rs 250 Throughout, the writer shows deep empathy for women and the and college going dilemmas theyface. youngsters, between 13 and HERE are many ways to tell a story Her pen does not judge. She does not say this is right or that was 20 years old, participated in of injustice. It's easy to overstate or wrong. Instead she takes the reader through the story, telling as it an endeavour called Meri Tunderstate, but then you run the happened, arriving at an obvious conclusion: true morality is called Awaz Suno, Youth Aman risk of leaving your reader cold. To tell a humanity. Karwan. tale, which touches the heart,is the Even today there are Romthas in our midst. The denotified tribes The Karwan was flagged forte of an accomplished raconteur whom Mahasweta Devi has always identified with and spoken for. off on April 7 and toured who is a witness, an insider to the Branded by birth as criminals, living on the margins of society in free around 40 cities,towns and events she unfurls. India, struggling against the might of the state, nomads and adivasis are villages, covering a distance Mahasweta Devi's gentle satirical yet to get to get their rightful place in India’s democracy. of 15,000 kilometres. prose lures the reader into a world of people living on the margins, Although the writer says she writes about small people and their Shabnam Hashmi, well- grappling with cruel diktats and meaningless social rules, foisted by a small dreams, her pen imbues them with size and the power to move known activist with class of men with untrammelled power. Instead of revolution, there is the reader. ANHAD, accompanied the silent submission. Society falls in line, each fearing for survival. The ambience of the story and its canvas are reminescent of the children. Shadowed by death, yearning for freedom, one man tries to break away. Gaur of yore. This is because the writer has an eye for historical detail. "We interacted with Romtha is such a story, written in blood. The writer delves into Reference to the Romtha practice is found in a book on social history by activists as well as people history, but weaves in a contemporary realism. In the twelfth century, Durgacharan Sanyal. like Habib Tanvir in Bhopal," during the reign of Lakshmansena, ruler of Gaur, the baidyas, a caste of The book includes an interesting conversation the writer has with said Moyna, a member of physicians, emerged as an influential faction. The king was a fanatic Naveen Kishore, publisher of Seagull books. In this exchange, Youth 4 Peace. In Jammu promoter of Ayurveda. He bestowed land and slaves to physicians to Mahasweta Devi, gives a glimpse of how she writes and collects words and Kashmir the Karwan cultivate exotic herbs. But they wanted beautiful humans to roast for and phrases, carefully culled from tribal lore or Sanskrit texts. did not conduct a press medicinal oil. This too was granted. They were free to choose men Like a roving reporter, her notebook includes important minutae an conference but interacted sentenced to death. Such a man was called Romtha and the word was academic historian might bypass: the detailed accounts of the expenses with the people. They spoke scorched across his chest. of conducting sati, utensils used by women in the old days, Marathi in schools in Lucknow, Sharan means refuge. He was a beautiful young man, convicted for songs, lullabies and lines, a true encounter with a kolhati girl who tells visited a Dalit basti in killing a woman he loved passionately. She was Gaur's most celebrated the writer the amazing story of her life. Nadiad and also went to a courtesan. Sharan is branded as Romtha, gifted to the physician Although the book is a translation, the language seems to retain the village near Jallandar in Chandrasen. Even as he waits to die a horrible death, Sharan mourns flavour of the vernacular. As you dip in, the pace appears slow. But, like Punjab. for his dead lover. He longs to live but is forced to kill once again. Mahasweta Devi’s other books, you get caught in the engrossing tale. The overall reaction to Subhadra, a young widow, falls madly in love with him. As you turn the last page and slip the book back into your bookshelf, them was positive, says The story is set against the backdrop of Gaur's forests, rivers, lakes you feel a few lessons in life, in social history, in humanity have been Moyna. However, people and social milieu. The impoverished young girls arriving in the city passed on to you. were surprised to find that young people had strong opinions, especially on politics. In fact, Shabnam was often accused of instigating them! The Karwan was attacked A nation’s soul is its asset twice during the tour --- in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Changing India Gnankan, Director of ACTS in Bangalore whose spiritual search led In Vadodara, the attack Insights from the Margin him to take up environmental issues and start a popular programme came during a press Robin Thomson on environment for school children. His starting point? This is God's conference. Some VHP BR Publishing House world and we should care for it. activists surrounded Rs 150 The author examines the spread of Christianity in the north-east Shabnam and others and and its role in fomenting militancy. He says missionaries stopped attacked them physically and N this book, Robin Thomson argues head hunting and slavery, but left tribal laws of inheritance and verbally. They also tore the T- religion can transform people and decision making intact. They were a steadying influence during long shirt of Manan, another Iinspire them to help others. years of militancy, always rooting for peace and integration, writes Youth 4 Peace activist. He profiles the lives of Christians Thomson. The Karwan faced another working for marginalised The experiences of Indians in the diaspora who converted to attack in Andhra Pradesh on communities and analyses what Christianity make good reading. South Asia Concern was a meeting of the way to Vishakapatnam motivates them. He found religion minds of many Indians who genuinely sought to help society. from Bhuvaneshvar. Their was the spark. They were inspired by "When people are marginalised why not serve them?" asks vans were forced to collide Jesus Christ and saw him as an ideal role model. They also desired to Thomson. Converts say belief in Christ helped them overcome old on the highway by a couple share their experiences with others habits and sustain new values. The writer argues conversion does not of motorcycles. Shabnam Many of the activists interviewed are well known figures in the mean a change of culture, but of personal belief. It does involve was injured in this accident NGO sector. For instance, Raj and Mabelle Arole, who run the conflict when marginalised converts no longer want to cower in fear and had to get stitches on her Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) in Jamkhed, Ahmednagar before exploiters. face and head. Some children district, Maharashtra. They are qualified doctors who spurned a Historically, people have changed religions as a sign of protest or to were bruised rather badly. comfortable lifestyle to work for the people. They taught villagers signal to society that they think differently. Yet, in spite of these how to be responsible for their own health. In this process, the people In recent years the role of religion has come under a cloud. It is incidents, the spirit of the learnt to be dignified, to work as a team and to undertake projects misuse of beleif and corruption which give religion a bad name. Karwan remained that would help all of them. Conversion itself is a democratic right. The choice of a religion, unbroken. It was indeed a There is MC Mathew and his wife Anna who had a special child, which can satisfy a personal quest for spirituality, is best left to the revelation to see the Anita Susan. They started Ashirwad at the Christian Medical Hospital individual. antagonism that they in Vellore to help other special children and their parents. Or Dr Iris If a religion can help an individual become more caring and witnessed in Vadodra, not in Malkangiri, Orissa who decided to stay on and work for the Koya sensitive, the nation benefits, argues Thomson. Real change begins only from the VHP but from and Bonda communities after her husband Paul, a veterinary doctor, from within and a nation is as good as its people. the local media as well. passed away. Thomson’s point of view needs to be read, especially by people who There are also individuals in urban areas. Like rock singer Ken have so far held abiased view of Christianity and conversion. 26 CIVIL SOCIETY ESSAY June 2004 Development as good business

ASHOK KHOSLA

UR country's economy has made enormous strides over the past couple of decades. cost of delivering them is even more exorbitant because of inadequate infrastructure: few Many of our fellow citizens live longer, healthier and more productive lives than ever roads, little power and no connectivity. Obefore. Perhaps as many as 250 million Indians – a population comparable to that of But in a rural economy like that of India, the customer earns less than $ 2 a day. North America or Western Europe - are now active participants in the global economy, Clearly, there exists a massive disjoint between the cost of the goods and services need- having access to the benefits of modern science, technology and the world's production ed by the poor and the prices they can pay for them. systems. From rising economic growth rates to record foreign exchange reserves, every One possible solution lies in bringing the costs of delivering a product or service down day brings news that India is making rapid progress. Even the gods of the monsoon to the lowest possible level. The second lies in passing only its incremental costs on to appear to be intent on helping us take our rightful place as a leading economic force in the the consumer. The third lies, of course, in raising the purchasing power of the customer. community of nations. The first solution is itself achieved by a com- Yet, more than 500 million of our fellow citizens bination of well-known business strategies: cre- exist more or less outside the "mainstream" econo- ating standardised products, franchising local my, hovering perpetually in a state of stark survival production and delivery systems and building or, at best, of basic subsistence. It is true that the up high sales volumes. Within the constraints estimates of professional economists for the num- of the village economy, building up sales vol- ber of "poor" in our country today vary from 350 ume, can only be achieved by discarding con- million down to 180 million, depending on how ventional theories about focus on a single prod- they define "poverty" and how they count the num- uct line. It is the "country store" or super mar- bers. However, even if we take the most generous ket that supplies an adequately broad range of of their definitions for the poverty line, many of goods to bring in enough customers who spend these economists would find it quite difficult to live (possibly small) amounts on a sufficiently large below it. number of items, which can cover its costs of If globalisation is to benefit the poor, it can only operations and thus survive commercially. In do so where national policies are designed to redi- this case, it is the "economies of variety" that rect its forces from mass production purely for substitute for the economies of scale that do not export to include also "production by the masses for exist in a small and limited market. Such vol- the masses". Only thus can the goods and services umes do take time to build up to and the busi- needed by the poor be produced, and the purchas- ness must have staying power. ing power to access these be created. For local solutions to work, they need higher The eradication of poverty needs very different level support services: brand equity, technology approaches. First, of course, it needs some deep and know-how, training, maintenance and mar- structural changes in society: grass roots democracy, keting. These services cost money. So do all the land reform, access to livelihood resources and ful- front- end investments into research, infrastruc- fillment of everyone's right to reasonable education ture, startup and operationalising a business. and health care. Bringing about such change, even Many of these business supports are available at with a major struggle to overcome the opposition to little or no cost to urban industries. It is there- it from the rich and powerful requires time. Bihar fore justifiable to provide them for rural indus- is the archetypal demonstration of this, but the tries too. Consequently, the customer faces only prognosis is not much better in other states. In the the downstream recurring costs of production meantime, it is also worth mounting an attack on If globalisation is to benefit the poor, and distribution - probably the only type of sub- poverty within the existing systems, highly resist- sidy that can be justified on any ground. ant to change though they may be, to remove at it can only do so where national Both solutions need public resources for capi- least the most extreme forms of inequity. tal investments so that the incremental costs of To do this, technology and the marketplace must policies are designed to redirect its each unit of product or service can be brought be transformed to serve the cause of what Mahatma down to a level that is affordable to the buying Gandhi called antodaya - "putting the last first." public. This needs different time horizons, This means that primary task of those concerned forces from mass production purely financing instruments and profitability expecta- with sustainable development - public agencies, tions from those of today. After all, even in the civil society and others - is together to create the for export to include also US with far higher purchasing power among its conditions which generate the jobs and livelihoods consumers, rural infrastructure such as electrifi- that will enable the mass of people to stand on their “production by the masses for the cation was achieved with financing at 1-3%, with feet, socially and financially. repayment moratoria of several years and Jobs in India, as in all other economies, are actu- masses”. Only thus can the goods and breakeven expectations of 20 to 40 years. ally created by the small and medium (SME) sector, And they need private sector inputs, too: oper- by the "informal" sector and - most of all -- by the ational financing, management efficiency and mini and micro enterprises that dot the country- services needed by the poor be the ability to deliver results. In the longer run, side. Since rising productivity in agriculture means realistic business analysis shows that even the that the bulk of the 15 million livelihoods and jobs produced, and the purchasing power dispersed rural market can provide commercial- we need to put in place each year will have to be off- ly viable opportunities for many types of prod- farm, it is these sectors that will have to take to access these be created. ucts and services. responsibility for getting our country to work. This is why Development Alternatives and its The largest potential for livelihood creation, par- affiliates such as TARA and TARAhaat have ticularly for women and the marginalised, lies in the mini and micro enterprise. Micro found it necessary to mix the public and the private, a pure anathema in conventional enterprises, with one to five workers, and a capital investment of ten thousand rupees or institutional design. The breakthrough lies in clearly separating the objectives from the less are suited to household industries that largely produce items for use in the local strategies. In addition to commercial viability, the objectives for such an enterprise are community. Mini enterprises, with five to fifty employees, and capital investments of primarily social, environmental and developmental. The strategies and methods used to several lakhs, are capable of using technology and marketing methods to reach beyond achieve them, on the other hand, are purely business. And that means we need sources the needs of the local community and generate surpluses that enable them to grow and of capital that can accept longer time horizons for achieving profitability and possibly invest in further growth. lower profits than are sometimes available in the market. To be successful, micro and mini enterprises need a variety of support systems. And The Development Alternatives was recently selected for the Karl Schwab Foundation's herein lies a fundamental contradiction. Outstanding Social Enterprise Award for 2004. After all, the very best in creativity and management expertise comes at a price It is not only that the cost of creating products needed in the countryside is high. The (Ashok Khosla is director, Development Alternatives, New Delhi) IN CIVIL SOCIETY EVERYONE IS SOMEONE IN CIVIL SOCIETY EVERYONE IS SOMEONE IN CIVIL SOCIETY EVERYONE IS SOMEONE IN CIVIL SOCIETY EVERYONE IS

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